Local Nature Recovery Strategies

Detail to support a local nature recovery action plan. Keywords: Habitat Map, Place-Sensitive, Hyper-Local, Constraints

Biodiversity

By law, all English public authorities – including town and parish councils – have a duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity in exercising their functions. With the exception of town and parish councils, public authorities must also “report on actions taken to meet this duty”.

They must “have regard to any relevant local nature recovery strategy”. The 48 strategy areas cover the whole of England, and are required by Government to contain:

1. A local habitat map.

2. A written statement of biodiversity priorities.

Town and parish councils Government guidance published in May 2023 outlines three key responsibilities for town and parish councils:

1. Consider biodiversity in their area

2. Agree policies and objectives to support it

3. Act to deliver those objectives

Local Nature Recovery Strategies

Local nature recovery strategies map nature recovery actions. They target actions in locations where they are most needed and where they provide the best environmental outcomes. The strategies will help to join up national efforts to reverse the decline of biodiversity.

There are 48 strategy areas which cover the whole of England with no gaps or overlaps. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has appointed ‘responsible authorities’ to lead the preparation of the strategy for each area.

LNRS Workbook

Shropshire Association of Local Councils, Middle Marches Community Land Trust and other partners have worked together to design an editable workbook to help Town and Parish Councils and other interested people take action by signposting to activities that can assist with the implementation of Shropshire's Local Nature Recovery Strategy at a local citizen led level.

The developers of the workbook are very happy if their template is customised for use in other counties.

Norfolk example

• What an LNRS is (Norfolk County Council): https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/39010/What-a-Local-Nature-Recovery-Strategy-is

• Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership https://www.nsnrp.org/

• Map of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)at work:

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Pioneering place-sensitive nature recovery at the hyper-local scale: a multi-tier, multi-directional governance approach

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Restoring a Green Britain

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Constraints and opportunities for nature recovery in the devolution landscape: the role of parish-level governance