Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006

7 Management agreements

(1) Natural England may make an agreement (a “management agreement”) with a person who has an interest in land about the management or use of the land, if doing so appears to it to further its general purpose.

(2) A management agreement may, in particular—

(a) impose on the person who has an interest in the land obligations in respect of the use of the land;

(b) impose on the person who has an interest in the land restrictions on the exercise of rights over the land;

(c) provide for the carrying out of such work as may be expedient for the purposes of the agreement by any person or persons;

(d) provide for any matter for which a management scheme relating to a site of special scientific interest provides (or could provide);

(e) provide for the making of payments by either party to the other party or to any other person;

(f) contain incidental and consequential provision.

(3) A management agreement is, unless the agreement otherwise provides—

(a) binding on persons deriving title under or from the person with whom Natural England makes the agreement, and

(b) enforceable by Natural England against those persons.

(4) Schedule 2 to the Forestry Act 1967 (c. 10) (power for tenant for life and others to enter into forestry dedication covenants) applies to management agreements as it applies to forestry dedication covenants.

(5) For the purposes of any enactment or rule of law as to the circumstances in which the dedication of a highway or the grant of an easement may be presumed, or may be established by prescription, the use by the public or by any person of a way across land at any time while it is the subject of a management agreement is to be disregarded.

(6) “Interest in land” has the same meaning as in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (c. 97).

(7) “Management scheme” and “site of special scientific interest” have the same meaning as in Part 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (c. 69).