Margaret Beckett has announced the creation of a new agency to champion the cause of rural issues.

On Tuesday the environment secretary revealed that the new body would bring together elements of the work done by English Nature, the Countryside Agency and her department's rural development service.

There had been fears that the government was seeking to reduce the criticism of its environmental policies by weakening the existing agencies.

But Beckett said it was "important to me that the integrated agency should have a strong and authoritative voice commanding respect both within and outside government".

The new body will be established as an executive non-departmental public body.

"The integrated agency will build upon and strengthen work on biodiversity, natural resource protection and landscape issues in order to improve the environment across rural, urban, marine and coastal England," said a departmental statement.

"It will also provide independent advice and challenge to policy-makers and implement policy within the framework of the government's approach to sustainable development."

Rural strategy

The announcement came in the build up to publication of Defra's latest rural strategy, which is expected to be published this spring.

Responding to the news, the Conservatives criticised the lack of detail.

"The government statement makes no mention of English Nature, which is surprising given the amount of concern about this organisation being subsumed into a slimmed down countryside agency," said shadow environment secretary Caroline Spelman.

"Conservatives believe the protection of bio-diversity should not be subjugated to the wider objectives of the countryside agency.

"What is now critical is that government policy delivers a comprehensive rural strategy that is both environmentally friendly and economically sustainable.

"We must see not see any further delays to the government’s overall review."