Consultation Hub

The site lists consultations that are run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. On this site you can find, share or take part in consultations. Public participation is very important to the development of our policies so please have your say.

Open Consultations

  • The Fur Market in Great Britain

    Fur farming has been banned in England and Wales since 2000 and in Scotland and Northern Ireland since 2002. We also have restrictions on the import of fur from domestic cats and dogs, from commercial seal hunts, and from wild animals trapped for their fur. Now that our future... More

    Closes 28 June 2021

  • Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England

    Increasing consistency in recycling will reduce confusion in the materials that can be collected for recycling at kerbside. Following on from the 2019 consultation, this consultation details specific policy proposals for increasing consistency in recycling collected from households, businesses... More

    Closes 4 July 2021

  • Swanscombe Peninsula

    Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Kent: Notification under section 28C (Enlargement) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Natural England has reviewed the notification of Bakers Hole SSSI, Kent and has enlarged the SSSI boundary... More

    Closes 12 July 2021

  • Open access restriction at Cheriton Wood (case number 2006040060)

    South Downs National Park Authority is seeking views on proposals that will restrict public access to open access land at this site. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act) gives a public right of access to land mapped as ‘open country’ (mountain, moor, heath and down) or... More

    Closes 16 July 2021

  • Direct Payments to farmers: Lump sum exit scheme and delinked payments in England

    Foreword There are many things that make the farming business unique but one of the most powerful is that most farmers have an emotional connection with their land. For farmers, home is more than just the house they live in. In many cases land has been in the same family for generations.... More

    Closes 11 August 2021

  • Dearne Valley Wetlands SSSI

    Dearne Valley Wetlands is notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 13 May 2021. Dearne Valley Wetlands SSSI is an area of post-industrial urban fringe in South Yorkshire, near Barnsley, and comprises large areas of open water and associated wetland and woodland habitat... More

    Closes 13 September 2021

  • Sign-up for updates on Environmental Targets

    An important aspect of the Environment Bill is the power to set long-term, legally-binding environmental targets. Setting targets will provide a strong mechanism to deliver long-term environmental outcomes. This will build upon progress towards achieving the long-term vision of the 25 Year... More

    Closes 31 October 2022

See All Open Consultations

Closed Consultations

See All Closed Consultations

We Asked, You Said, We Did

Here are some of the issues we have consulted on and their outcomes. See all outcomes

We asked

Natural England consulted with owners, occupiers and interested parties on the notification of Reigate Heath Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on 30 October 2020.

You said

Reigate Heath SSSI Consultation closed on 1 March 2021. No objections have been received relating to the notification of additional land under Section 28B of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. There have been eight representations of support to the notification.

We did

Natural England confirmed the additional land of Reigate Heath SSSI on 27 April 2021.

We asked

Natural England consulted with owner, occupiers and interested parties on the notification of Cowslip Meadow Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on 13 October 2020.

You said

No objections have been received relating to the notification of this land under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

There have been two representations of support, from RSPB and one from Citizen Space with a further three neutral responses to the notification from the online consultation.

We did

Natural England confirmed the notification of Cowslip Meadow SSSI on 11 June 2021 without modification.

We asked

Natural England consulted with owner, occupiers and interested parties on the notification of Dallow Downs and Winsdon Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on 13 October 2020.

You said

One objection has been received relating to the notification of Dallow Downs and Winsdon Hill SSSI under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 from Luton Borough Council. However this has been resolved by Officers resulting in a minor boundary amendment (reductions only) and revised area figure on the citation to reflect the mapping error Luton Borough Council raised.

There has been one representation of support and three neutral responses to the notification from the Citizen Space online consultation.

We did

Natural England confirmed the notification of Dallow Downs and Winsdon Hill SSSI on 11 June 2021 with a modification to the boundary.