Recognizing the natural heritage of landscape in the law of England and Wales

Natural heritage is a term that is little used in the context of environmental law, but it is essential in understanding the connections between people, nature and landscape. Protecting the natural heritage of landscape, recognizing the spatial and temporal connections between people and place, will be crucial in addressing the nature crisis. Law can provide an important means of reflecting those values and this article sets out three ways in which the law in England and Wales should be reformed to this end. First, heritage law needs revising to include the protection of tangible natural heritage features in the landscape, alongside built cultural heritage. Secondly, planning law needs to clearly articulate the more intangible values of the natural heritage in landscape for land use. Thirdly, these values and features of natural heritage in the landscape need to be protected in rules and standards (legal or otherwise) that govern management practices in a rural context, ie, in the spheres of agriculture, forestry and inland waterways.