Appointments to the board of the Countryside Agency

Peter Fane has been designated as Deputy Chairman of the Countryside Agency from 1 July 2006 until dissolution of the Agency, which is scheduled to be 30 September 2006. Peter Fane has served as a member of the Agency's Board since 1 April 2000.

Two other members of the Countryside Agency's Board, Tayo Adebowale and Norman Glass were reappointed for a second term of office from 1 April 2006.

These appointments will enable the Board to continue to manage the Countryside Agency effectively until its dissolution and to contribute to the challenging tasks of establishing Natural England and the Commission for Rural Communities.

Notes to editors

The Countryside Agency

1. The Countryside Agency is a statutory body working to make the quality of life better for people in the countryside and the quality of the countryside better for everyone. It is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra.

2. As part of Defra's Rural Strategy 2004, and under the provisions of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, the Countryside Agency will be dissolved and two successor bodies established on 1 October 2006. The Commission for Rural Communities, currently operating as a division of the Countryside Agency, is tasked with acting as a rural advocate, expert adviser and independent watchdog, with a particular focus on disadvantage. The other body, Natural England, will be formed by the merger of the Countryside Agency's landscape, access and recreation functions with the activities of English Nature and the larger part of Defra's Rural Development Service. The remit of Natural England will be to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations.

Appointments

3. All appointments to the Countryside Agency Board are made on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and in accordance with guidance issued by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

4. As the Countryside Agency is currently in a transitional period, the Commissioner for Public Appointments exceptionally agreed to extend Peter Fane's second term of office as a Board member until 30 September 2006, or dissolution of the Agency, whichever is the sooner. Peter Fane has subsequently been designated following the resignation of the previous Deputy Chair, Pam Warhurst, to take up an appointment to the Board of Natural England. Both Tayo Adebowale and Norman Glass, who have been reappointed for second terms, will continue to serve on the Board of the Countryside Agency until dissolution.

5. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan requirements, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any is declared) to be made public. Peter Fane has declared a political affiliation to the Liberal Democrats Party but does not currently hold any political office. Tayo Adebowale and Norman Glass have not declared any policital affiliation.

6. The current Countryside Agency Board members are: Dr Stuart Burgess (Chair), Peter Fane (Deputy Chair), Dr Tayo Adebowale, Kate Ashbrook, Professor Sheena Asthana, Richard Burge, Dr Jim Cox, Norman Glass, The Rt Rev Graham James, Professor Philip Lowe, Alison McLean, Howard Petch, Professor Mark Shucksmith, John Varley and Professor Michael Winter.

7. Members are remunerated at a rate based on £12,495 per annum for a time input of 3.5 days per month, with additional remuneration for a further half day per month for those Board members with National Park responsibilities. The Deputy Chairman will receive the same rate based on a time input of 2 days per week.

Biographical details:

Tayo Adebowale

An environmental scientist based in Manchester, working for Cirkadia. Previously she was with Environmental Resources Management, Jacobs Babtie and was an Associate Lecturer with the Open University. She recently was appointed a Commissioner with the Forestry Commission, and was the previously the Chair of the North Western and North Wales Branch of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management.

Peter Fane

A rural practice surveyor who has worked in both public and private sectors. He is a director of Eurinco Ltd, consultants on European policy in agriculture, trade and the environment. He was previously director of the British Agricultural Bureau in Brussels and of the Land Consultancy Group of the RICS. He owns a small arable farm in Suffolk.

Norman Glass CB

Chief Executive of the National Centre for Social Research, he was a Director in the Public Services Directorate General and Chief Microeconomist in the Treasury until 2000 and participated in the Performance and Innovation Unit's study of rural Economies. Previously he was Chief Economist in the Department of the Environment.

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