Natural England appoints interim chief to take the full post

Government environment advisor, Natural England, has appointed Marian Spain, as chief executive officer.

Spain (pictured) has been interim chief for 17 months since her predecessor James Cross quit suddenly, reportedly ousted by the then environment secretary, Michel Gove. Natural England is responsible to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The £125,000 a year post is is fixed-term for three years with a possible extension of two years “subject to business need.”

Spain is a former chief executive of British conservation charity, Plantlife, and has held senior roles in organisations in the environment sector, including the Environment Agency and a Natural England predecessor, the Countryside Agency.

Natural England chair, Tony Juniper, said Spain will “ensure that the organisation can meet the challenge of restoring nature, which lies at the heart of the government’s environmental policy, as the country recovers from the impact of coronavirus.”