The ‘Total Environment’ initiative was launched by the Defra Secretary of State, Caroline Spelman and the Local Government Association Chairman, then Baroness Eaton, in October 2010. The impetus came from a group of local authorities seeking support from Government to take forward the approach adopted through the Total Place work and apply it to their most complex environmental challenges.

Objectives, areas and themes

Total Environment was therefore conceived to bring together Defra, three of its agencies (the Environment Agency, Natural England and in some cases the Forestry Commission) and the Local Government Association to work with and support local areas to develop new and more ambitious approaches to addressing major local environmental issues which require input from a number of agencies and sectors.

In keeping with Government’s decentralisation and localism priorities, local areas have set their own agendas for this work, with the partners on hand to support their ambitions. There are 11 core Total Environment areas across the country: Bristol; Cheshire West and Chester; Cumbria; Essex; Greater Manchester; Hampshire; Hertfordshire; Kirklees; Lincolnshire; Suffolk and Worcestershire.

Thematic interests and objectives vary across the areas according to their local priorities; however most areas have focused on cross-cutting themes which require close working across a range of agencies and sectors, such as developing local green infrastructure, addressing flooding and coastal risk management, or aligning funding for environmental priorities. Some examples of Total Environment activity includes;

• Hampshire have been working with Defra’s agencies and the local voluntary and community sector to bring together a hub of expertise on the environment that commissions Total Environment projects.
• Worcestershire have collaborated with the Environment Agency and Natural England to produce joint advice statements to promote the development of green infrastructure through the planning system.
• Lincolnshire are developing a pooled budget approach across a wide range of partners relating to flood risk management

Further information

• Total Environment Progress Report, considering the projects undertaken by participating areas (published March 2012)
• An online Total Environment “Knowledge Hub” to exchange views and share documentation, is accessible via registering at https://knowledgehub.local.gov.uk/group/totalenvironment * 

*Note: This replaces the Total Environment Community of Practice – all current content and members will transfer across.

For other Total Environment related queries please contact anna.knight@defra.gsi.gov.uk