Natural England is a non-departmental public body. Our purpose is to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

We congratulate the authority on the production of a forward looking document within which we find much to welcome. With careful implementation, we believe it has the potential to help promote a more sustainable future for North Somerset.

The link with the Sustainable Community Strategy is welcome and in particular we support the inclusion of "living within environmental limits" as a guiding principle. We are also particularly pleased to see the inclusion of specific policies on green infrastructure and also climate change - which is the most serious long term threat to people and the natural environment.