Responsibility for water safety and drowning prevention is shared across a range of organisations, including local authorities, emergency services, regulators, education partners and landowners. Defra's role primarily relates to the water environment and oversight of relevant arm's-length bodies. Defra supports the Environment Agency and Canal and River Trust, which undertake risk assessments and public safety campaigns to help people stay safe around water.

Responsibility for water safety and drowning prevention is shared across a range of organisations, including local authorities, emergency services, regulators, education partners and landowners. Defra's role primarily relates to the water environment and oversight of relevant arm's-length bodies. Defra supports the Environment Agency and Canal and River Trust, which undertake risk assessments and public safety campaigns to help people stay safe around water.

Natural England has discussed the following options for funding with Birmingham City Council to support biodiversity and pollution reduction; Severn Trent Water’s 5-year funded Asset Management Programme, future utilisation of agri-environment scheme funding, options for council designed and implemented ‘developer funded’ scheme, and the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Local Investment in Natural Capital (LINC) Programme.

Natural England has had 12 face to face meetings since 1 January 2024 with Birmingham City Council, with ongoing dialogue in between meetings. Natural England would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon Member and discuss.

I am not aware of discussions between Defra officials and Birmingham City Council.

Natural England is in regular dialogue with Birmingham City Council, Severn Trent Water and other partners to review progress with the implementation of its recommendations relating to the condition of Sutton Park SSSI. This is in addition to its condition assessment programme, which monitors the status of the site’s habitat features.

Natural England officials would be happy to offer a meeting with the Rt Hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield to discuss Sutton Park SSSI, its management, and the pressures affecting its condition in more detail, should that be helpful.

The approved woodland management plan for Sutton Park includes the requirement for the author of the plan to review progress against site objectives after five years, including objectives to support the recovery and resilience of the woodlands. In addition, the Forestry Commission operate a risk-based inspection regime of approved management plans, which considers the scale and environmental sensitivity of woodland sites. Under this approach, sites such as Sutton Park are more likely to be selected for inspection.

The most recent discussion Natural England has had with Severn Trent regarding how sewage infrastructure failures can be avoided in Sutton Park was a meeting on 13 November 2025 in conjunction with the Environment Agency. This discussion was part of ongoing discussions regarding Severn Trent's commitment within the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) to investigate the sources and impacts of water pollution at Sutton Park. The next meeting is due on 21 January 2026.

Natural England has noted that the number of serious incidents has reduced (from four in 2021 to two in 2025). Severn Trent has recently employed a new Ranger to support this work. However, there is still more work to reduce incidents. We will continue to work with Severn Trent alongside the Environment Agency to ensure Severn Trent delivers its commitments within the WINEP.

The Forestry Commission has approved a Felling Licence based on a management plan, which includes permissions for both thinning and conditional felling, alongside 4.99 hectares of heathland restoration.

This plan was approved for a 10-year period in September 2025 and will remain in effect until 14 September 2035.

The management plan sets out the following environmental objectives:

• Manage woodlands towards the recovery of positive conditions on “Plantations on Ancient Woodlands” (PAWS) and “Site of Special Scientific Interest” (SSSI) through a mix of active planting and natural regeneration.
• Promote good health and resilience of woodlands, diversifying age class and species composition using conventional and continuous cover forestry.
• Manage priority habitat by cutting back undesirable scrub and regeneration.
• Promote habitat connectivity by managing rides, footpaths, and edge woodlands.
• Increase fauna and flora diversity through retention of veteran trees, standing deadwood, brash piles, and targeted thinning.

The management plan aims to ensure that Sutton Park’s woodlands are managed sustainably, enhancing biodiversity and supporting the long-term resilience of these important habitats. All of the above is in-line with the Government’s UK Forest Standard.

Natural England (NE) and the Forestry Commission are working with Birmingham City Council (BCC) to review on-site management to address the decline in habitat condition. This includes: improved grazing; addressing scrub and bracken encroachment; management of invasive species; increased woodland thinning; and visitor management. NE also provided a detailed response to BCC’s 2025 consultation on its Sutton Park National Nature Reserve management plan, which identifies the key objectives and actions for managing the Park. NE is also discussing with BCC future funding support through agri-environment schemes and other sources.

NE is working with BCC and other neighbouring Local Planning Authorities to influence strategic development and transport plans to ensure housing needs are met while protecting the habitats of the Site of Special Scientific Interest from recreational pressure and air pollution.

NE and the Environment Agency continue to work with Severn Trent Water to address pollution risks from sewage infrastructure as part of the Water Industry Natural Environment Programme.

The recently published West Midlands Combined Authority Local Nature Recovery Strategy recognises the importance of Sutton Park, both for nature and for people. Actions identified in the Strategy, both within the Park and the wider area, will also support habitat recovery in the Park.

The woodland feature has been recorded as unfavourable since 2012, and was first identified as declining in the condition assessment published in March 2025. The heathland feature has been unfavourable since 2000, and was first identified as declining in September 2012. For both habitats, prior to their being recorded as unfavourable declining, they had previously been considered as unfavourable recovering. Unfavourable condition means that the habitat is not meeting its definition of favourable condition, and ‘recovering/declining’ indicates whether the management of on and off-site pressures will enable the habitat to become favourable.

Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

MHCLG is working closely with Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council on the Pride in Place Programme. Through this process, it has been made clear that Sutton Park is a vital and valued local asset. We will continue to work closely with both the Town Council and Birmingham City Council to support the delivery of the programme over the coming years.

Sutton Park is both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a National Nature Reserve.

Natural England (NE) has an ongoing constructive dialogue with Birmingham City Council (BCC), which manages the park, about its management of the park’s important biodiversity. This follows a decline in the condition of the park’s woodland and heathland habitats detected as part of NE’s SSSI monitoring programme.

NE and the Forestry Commission (FC) are advising BCC on improving the management of those habitats. NE is also exploring with BCC opportunities for managing the increased recreational pressure on the park, while also supporting growth of housing in the vicinity of the park.

NE is also engaged with Severn Trent Water on how sewage infrastructure failures can be avoided and any impacts addressed on the wetland and open water areas in Sutton Park. This work forms part of the water company’s five-year Asset Management Programmes agreed with Ofwat.

Actions to improve the site are set out in the West Midlands Combined Authority Local Nature Recovery Strategy. NE will be working with the responsible authority, FC and the Environment Agency to support delivery of those actions.