Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

However, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has the legal power to issue guidance to Natural England on various matters,[4] a constraint that was not placed on its predecessor NDPBs.

Its powers include defining ancient woodlands, awarding grants, designating Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, managing certain national nature reserves, overseeing access to open country and other recreation rights, and enforcing the associated regulations.

[citation needed] Natural England's latest corporate plan sets out its goals and detailed objectives.

In 2008, Sir Martin Doughty, the Chairman of Natural England, warned the Prime Minister of the potential danger of genetically modified crops.

It complements reports on different topics produced by other organisations: Natural England funded eight pilot green exercise projects through local regional partnerships.

In 2019 and 2020, NE noted that housing development could adversely affect the environment in some rivers as sewage outputs would increase levels of nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus.

Natural England was challenged in High Court in 2006 by Peter Boggis, a pensioner who protected his house from erosion.

Natural England lost the case in 2009, when Mr. Justice Blair, the brother of the former Prime Minister, ruled that Mr. Boggis' "human predicament" was more important than the site's SSSI status.

At NE's request, the Environment Secretary Michael Gove took over responsibility for the general licences from Natural England on 4 May 2019.