This guidance, required by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, aims to provide a broad overview of the way in which Natural England should engage in regional planning activities and associated matters, and the bodies and organisations with which it should work in undertaking that engagement.

As a champion of the natural environment, Natural England will work closely with the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission. It will seek solutions which, while achieving environmental benefits, also provide long-term economic and social benefits, and avoid untoward economic and social impacts.

Natural England will work across both the rural and urban agendas. It will be expected to shape a wide range of regional policies and programmes, engaging with regional assemblies, Regional Development Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions to play a major role in the preparation of various strategies, for example Regional Spatial Strategies and Regional Economic Strategies. In addition, it will influence a wide range of other plans and strategies, providing leadership for the natural environment. It will use the rural delivery frameworks to work collaboratively with a range of partners and in some cases play a role in the development of Local Area Agreements.