# Banter 94: 05Nov25 Local Nature Recovery Strategy, with Stephen Dury {% embed url="" %} ### Video Timeline: (min:sec) 00:00 - 19:00 Presentation 19:00 - 37:21 Q & A *** ### Presentation: {% file src="" %} Note: this is quite a large file (66MB). You are welcome to download it to use yourself, but the much smaller .pdf version (15MB) is added below if you just wish to view the content. A marked-down version (ie without images) is listed at the bottom of the page for AI Search Engine purposes #### .pdf version of presentation: {% file src="" %} *** ### Meeting Summary: Nov 05, 2025 11:43 AM London ID: 834 5460 8536 ### Quick recap The meeting began with introductions and technical setup, including a discussion about using Zoom for presentations and council operations. The main focus was on Somerset Council's transition to a unitary authority and the implementation of Local Nature Recovery Strategies across England, with Stephen presenting on the LNRS's purpose and delivery mechanisms. The session concluded with discussions about public consultation requirements, financial concerns, and engagement challenges, with participants encouraged to suggest future presentation topics. ### Next steps * [Stephen: Send PowerPoint presentation to Graham via WeTransfer due to large file size](https://us02tasks.zoom.us/?meetingId=t3JXNt1DTKWkqxB2IQhTSA%3D%3D\&stepId=faea8170-ba46-11f0-9e52-6ac231044322) * [Graham: Adjust recording to start of meeting](https://us02tasks.zoom.us/?meetingId=t3JXNt1DTKWkqxB2IQhTSA%3D%3D\&stepId=faea84ea-ba46-11f0-ab55-6ac231044322) * [Somerset Council : Continue engagement with parish councils and clusters of parish councils on LNRS delivery](https://us02tasks.zoom.us/?meetingId=t3JXNt1DTKWkqxB2IQhTSA%3D%3D\&stepId=faea8649-ba46-11f0-8920-6ac231044322) * [Graham: Find speaker/topic for next week's session](https://us02tasks.zoom.us/?meetingId=t3JXNt1DTKWkqxB2IQhTSA%3D%3D\&stepId=faea875b-ba46-11f0-baf5-6ac231044322) * [Graham: Review Shropshire's parish council document as potential resource](https://us02tasks.zoom.us/?meetingId=t3JXNt1DTKWkqxB2IQhTSA%3D%3D\&stepId=faea8866-ba46-11f0-9cea-6ac231044322) ### Summary #### #### Somerset Council Unitary Authority Transition The group discussed the transition of Somerset Council to a unitary authority, noting challenges with financial issues and integrating different software systems. They also explored the potential for parishes to take on more responsibilities, though concerns were raised about legal frameworks and funding. The conversation ended with instructions for participants to rename themselves in Zoom for better identification and an overview of the upcoming presentation. #### Somerset's Local Nature Recovery Strategy Stephen, the Nature Recovery and Partnerships Manager from Somerset Council, presented on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). He explained its purpose, key components, and delivery mechanisms, emphasizing its role in reversing biodiversity decline and guiding local action. Stephen highlighted that while LNRSs identify priorities and map opportunities, they do not create legal designations or impose obligations, serving instead as a strategic guide for landowners, funders, and planners. He also discussed how Somerset's LNRS can be used by various stakeholders, including parish councils, to inform local projects and planning decisions, with updates planned every 3-10 years. #### Local Nature Recovery Strategies Implementation The meeting focused on the Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) and their implementation across 48 areas in England. Stephen explained that public consultation is a requirement for all areas, with Somerset currently in a 6-week consultation period. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between regions to ensure consistency and shared learning. Stuart raised concerns about the financial burden on farmers and the need for effective monitoring of results. Amanda discussed the challenges of engaging parish and town councils in the LNRS process and highlighted the need for better communication and support. The conversation ended with Graham announcing that the next week's topic would be determined, and he encouraged attendees to suggest future presentation ideas. *** ### Chat: 00:38:38 Matt Geen Curry Rivel PC: 48 areas required to have LNRS; why not the others? \ 00:54:40 Matt Geen Curry Rivel PC: As a Parish Council, can we refer to the LNRS in our responses to planning applications? \ 00:54:49 Matt Geen Curry Rivel PC: How long will the LNRS be valid? Is it worth including in our 10-year Parish Plan? \ 00:55:01 Cllr Allan Wilson Edgmond Shropshire: This is what we in Shropshire have prepared following the publication of the LNRS consultation document, in consultation with parties we prepared a work book to assist Parish & Town Council with information to improve or create habitats in locations that would be supportive of the area chosen. To promote this we held two conference inviting TPC's to attend and listen to practitioners as to what they have done to create nature corridors, etc for connecting spaces and improve NbS and improve biodiversity goals locally in support of the LNRS. Encouraging TPC and landowners to mark up on the map areas they could undertake work \ 00:58:15 Amanda Davis: Replying to "As a Parish Council,..."very much so. it is a source of evidence data \ 01:00:56 Cllr Allan Wilson Edgmond Shropshire: Sorry people, I have to leave, I look forward to seeing the rest of today's video and chat. \ 01:07:24 Matt Geen Curry Rivel PC: Reacted to "very much so. it is..." with šŸ‘ \ 01:09:56 Andrew Clegg - Martock, Somerset: Here is Stephen's Plan. Good and easy to use \ 01:10:07 Matt Geen Curry Rivel PC: Somerset people might be interested in our environment event coming up on November 22nd \ 01:11:12 Sarah Whitelaw: EXCELLENT STUFF ! extremely helpful !! \ 01:11:23 Matt Geen Curry Rivel PC: Thanks! \ 01:11:26 Jo Morris Frome Town Council: Thank you \ 01:11:32 Stephen Dury: Reacted to "Somerset people mi..." with šŸ‘ \ 01:11:59 Cathy Wynne, Hildenborough PC Kent: Thank you nice and clear information \ 01:12:25 David Bourn, Shepton Beauchamp Parish Council: Many thanks. \ 01:13:30 lisa scott: thank you *** ### Audio-Transcript: WEBVTT 52\ 00:10:19.030 --> 00:10:23.530\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Steven, welcome to the, the broadcast. 53\ 00:10:24.070 --> 00:10:25.490\ Stephen Dury: Thank you, David. 54\ 00:10:25.740 --> 00:10:26.760\ Stephen Dury: Thank you. 55\ 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:33.879\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: I'm sort of standing in for Graham until such time as he can, jump on, because he's, 56\ 00:10:34.200 --> 00:10:38.740\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Off doing a resilienceā€¦ a live resilience exercise. 57\ 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:43.859\ Stephen Dury: Yes, he did mention that. He'll be joining just sort of bang on 12, around about then. 58\ 00:10:43.860 --> 00:10:44.460\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Yep. 59\ 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:52.059\ Stephen Dury: I've just tested my share screen, it seems to work, because I don't normally use Zoom, so I wanted to make sure it worked. 60\ 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:56.740\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Oh, you were sort of a primarilyā€¦ primarily a Teams user. 61\ 00:10:56.890 --> 00:11:04.010\ Stephen Dury: Yes, our council, they advise on Teams, they don't like Zoom, so we don't have the Zoom app on our laptops. 62\ 00:11:04.770 --> 00:11:12.300\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: I think there is a problem from a government perspective about security, because the MOD will not have it anywhere near their systems either. 63\ 00:11:12.780 --> 00:11:14.569\ Stephen Dury: Probably it, yeah, yeah. 64\ 00:11:15.810 --> 00:11:16.589\ Stephen Dury: On the whole. 65\ 00:11:16.590 --> 00:11:18.209\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Although much of a muchness. 66\ 00:11:18.790 --> 00:11:24.769\ Stephen Dury: I'm sure they are, yeah. It seems to work, just share screen, it seems quite straightforward. 67\ 00:11:28.090 --> 00:11:34.140\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: So you, have you alwaysā€¦ has Somerset Council always been a unitary authority? 68\ 00:11:34.400 --> 00:11:44.419\ Stephen Dury: No, we became unitaryā€¦ well, vesting was only about a year ago. There was a couple of years lead up to it. We were five district councils before that. 69\ 00:11:44.860 --> 00:11:46.439\ Stephen Dury: So, it's quite recent. 70\ 00:11:46.440 --> 00:11:48.460\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: And how is that working? 71\ 00:11:49.070 --> 00:12:03.989\ Stephen Dury: Lots of teething problems. It was supposed to help in terms of the finances. We don't seeā€¦ we don't see the benefit of that yet. We're still in grave financial trouble. 72\ 00:12:04.050 --> 00:12:10.260\ Stephen Dury: Yeah, no, it's bringing people in who have all worked on different, 73\ 00:12:11.370 --> 00:12:18.060\ Stephen Dury: software packages and, you know, in different ways has been quite a challenge. I think it's getting, it's getting there. 74\ 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:27.279\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Yeah, because we're about to go through this great change, 75\ 00:12:27.990 --> 00:12:31.410\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: in sort of Hampshire, where they're going to create 76\ 00:12:31.690 --> 00:12:34.989\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Four unitary authorities out of theā€¦ 77\ 00:12:35.850 --> 00:12:39.060\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Out of all the district councils within Hampshire. 78\ 00:12:39.290 --> 00:12:43.129\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: And I must admit, Iā€¦ I think it'sā€¦ 79\ 00:12:43.780 --> 00:12:47.430\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: I come from an MAD background, and I saw 80\ 00:12:48.520 --> 00:12:51.250\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Massive changes to try and 81\ 00:12:52.070 --> 00:13:01.249\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Rationalize and make efficiencies by joining components from the single services into a defense structure. 82\ 00:13:01.630 --> 00:13:02.170\ Stephen Dury: Dang. 83\ 00:13:02.170 --> 00:13:04.420\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: All we see is more muddle. 84\ 00:13:04.730 --> 00:13:07.349\ Stephen Dury: And more complexity. 85\ 00:13:07.490 --> 00:13:08.040\ Stephen Dury: Yeah. 86\ 00:13:08.230 --> 00:13:14.220\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Well, that's what our experience was. Oh, right, Graeme, you're here, are you? 87\ 00:13:14.220 --> 00:13:15.110\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Indeed. 88\ 00:13:15.420 --> 00:13:18.930\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Oh, brilliant, well done. You made it. I was keeping Stephen entertained. 89\ 00:13:19.650 --> 00:13:23.170\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: I'm sure you're doing a brilliant job, so don't let me interrupt you. 90\ 00:13:23.570 --> 00:13:30.560\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: No, no, no, we were just talking aboutā€¦ the myth thatā€¦ Big equals good. 91\ 00:13:32.370 --> 00:13:35.040\ Stephen Dury: As in, transition to unitary. 92\ 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:44.459\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: It's been a painful process, but I guess it is anywhere, isn't it? Not just Somerset. 93\ 00:13:45.450 --> 00:13:59.980\ Stephen Dury: Yes, and there's that missing middle layer of government then, because we've done away with the districts, and Somerset Council is trying to push things towards the parishes to deliver services, so it's interesting times at the moment. 94\ 00:14:00.260 --> 00:14:04.119\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Are youā€¦ oh, so you're actually pushing stuff down to the parishes, are you? 95\ 00:14:04.170 --> 00:14:05.990\ Stephen Dury: Trying to, yes, yes. 96\ 00:14:05.990 --> 00:14:08.770\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Do they have the legal framework to be able to do that? 97\ 00:14:09.170 --> 00:14:21.490\ Stephen Dury: Well, we devolved some things to town halls, the larger town halls, but I think we're expecting some services to be increasingly delivered at the very local level. 98\ 00:14:21.610 --> 00:14:25.029\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: I think there are some expectations that parishes willā€¦ 99\ 00:14:25.150 --> 00:14:26.260\ Stephen Dury: do more. 100\ 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:33.460\ Stephen Dury: Amongst their, sort of, voluntary and often not-so-young membership of councillors. 101\ 00:14:34.740 --> 00:14:43.950\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: No, absolutely. My, my, my slight concern is that whenever we try to do something, useful at parish level. 102\ 00:14:44.260 --> 00:14:50.379\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: We usually get, scuppered by the clerk, who says. 103\ 00:14:51.190 --> 00:14:53.430\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: We're not legislated to do this. 104\ 00:14:55.750 --> 00:14:57.360\ Stephen Dury: Yes, well, that'sā€¦ that shouldā€¦ 105\ 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:06.369\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: So ifā€¦ so if youā€¦ so, for example, we want to take on more responsibility for the, maintaining the verges and the ditches. 106\ 00:15:06.450 --> 00:15:07.810\ Stephen Dury: Yeah. 107\ 00:15:08.900 --> 00:15:13.120\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: from the Highways Authority, because, frankly, we're just so small. 108\ 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:21.530\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: And their budget's so stretched that the last place theyā€¦ they think about is our little parish. But trying toā€¦ 109\ 00:15:22.250 --> 00:15:25.220\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Thenā€¦ fund. 110\ 00:15:25.400 --> 00:15:29.529\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Theā€¦ those activities become aā€¦ becomes a real challenge. 111\ 00:15:30.040 --> 00:15:35.080\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Because we're not the highways authority, and we don't have the legal authority to do so. 112\ 00:15:36.030 --> 00:15:46.870\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: So how are you going to get round? Are you going to need a round of, legislation to change the roles and responsibility of parish and town councils? 113\ 00:15:47.830 --> 00:16:02.480\ Stephen Dury: Well, it is a good question. I presume that it probably will. I know, certainly, we've been devolving quite a few things to town councils. Town councils have been keen to take on some of the responsibilities. I guess they use their precept 114\ 00:16:02.620 --> 00:16:09.289\ Stephen Dury: to cover that, and we've got a new, brand new town council in Taunton. They didn't have one before. 115\ 00:16:09.490 --> 00:16:15.910\ Stephen Dury: So county are keen to offload as much as possible. Town councils actually seem keen 116\ 00:16:16.200 --> 00:16:22.710\ Stephen Dury: To absorb some of it, not all of it, a lot of negotiations taking place at the moment. 117\ 00:16:22.910 --> 00:16:31.629\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: I mean, I quite look forward to it. I mean, if that happens for us, I think that will be a step in the right direction. Anyway, over to you, Graeme, because I think we've hit the witching hour. 118\ 00:16:31.630 --> 00:16:44.259\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Well, we're getting close. Good afternoon, everybody. I wonder if I could ask, since we have so many new faces, if people could rename themselves in their Zoom windows to let us at least know where you are? 119\ 00:16:44.520 --> 00:16:53.250\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: For those who are not fresh to Zoom, it's usually found in the two littleā€¦ three little dots at the top of your screen, top right corner. 120\ 00:16:53.330 --> 00:17:06.399\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Or you can go into Participants and do it there. So take your pick, but it would be appreciated by those of us who are very fine to know how far we're reaching, to know where you are, please. 121\ 00:17:08.069 --> 00:17:14.239\ Cllr Allan Wilson Edgmond Shropshire: little blue box in the top right-hand corner, it's got three dots in it. Click on that, and rename appears. 122\ 00:17:14.530 --> 00:17:15.399\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: There you go. 123\ 00:17:18.230 --> 00:17:19.190\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Andā€¦ 124\ 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:26.229\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: We're probably looking for about another 8 people. 125\ 00:17:26.420 --> 00:17:29.590\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: So, let's see where we are for magical tonight. 126\ 00:17:39.890 --> 00:17:43.049\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Yeah, we've got a couple of minutes yet for the latecomers, because people always seem 127\ 00:17:43.450 --> 00:17:46.240\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Perhaps a chapter on calls or previous meetings. 128\ 00:17:48.940 --> 00:17:53.289\ Stephen Dury: So you've been at aā€¦ was it a resilience meeting, Graeme, this morning? 129\ 00:17:53.290 --> 00:17:57.339\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: It was actually a live exercise to, 130\ 00:17:57.660 --> 00:18:07.420\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Usually, your imagination and ride disappeared underwater from the combination of a very high tide and an awful lot of rain. 131\ 00:18:07.770 --> 00:18:16.859\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And it was actually a very interesting exercise, because they say, well, do you know who in your street is vulnerable? Who needs to be got out before the power gets lost? 132\ 00:18:17.010 --> 00:18:21.230\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Which people are stuck in basements, which people refuse to leave. 133\ 00:18:21.420 --> 00:18:39.249\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And what assets do you have available to get them out? So, you know, those who can't move under their own steam need to be evacuated in a 4x4 to the nearest warm center or the area where all the effort is being concentrated. 134\ 00:18:39.360 --> 00:18:42.500\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And, who's got food, who's got water, who hasn't? 135\ 00:18:42.760 --> 00:18:44.329\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Rave, do you, 136\ 00:18:44.830 --> 00:18:51.069\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: That's a really interesting issue, because it'sā€¦ you've got to have a list of all these people who are vulnerable. 137\ 00:18:51.460 --> 00:18:54.350\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Then, of course, you hit the GDPR, sort of. 138\ 00:18:54.350 --> 00:18:54.860\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Yay. 139\ 00:18:54.990 --> 00:18:57.850\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: So, it's becoming a matter of liaison, doesn't it? 140\ 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:04.719\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Leading with the people who are allowed to have that information, like the local, town council? 141\ 00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:14.970\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Yeah, but how can they have it? Because if theyā€¦ they too are stuck. Parish and town councils are no different in termsā€¦ from their statutory, sort of, level. 142\ 00:19:15.170 --> 00:19:17.560\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: So, at a parishā€¦ 143\ 00:19:17.560 --> 00:19:23.440\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: You go into the electricity companies, they have to know. They must know who their clients are that are vulnerable. 144\ 00:19:23.700 --> 00:19:24.460\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: So youā€¦ 145\ 00:19:24.460 --> 00:19:26.210\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: And water companies as well, yeah. 146\ 00:19:26.210 --> 00:19:44.070\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Yeah, it's a great exercise in communication, actually, in that the business is how many people do you have to turn to to get the data you want? And bear in mind that you're sloshing down a street that's full of water and up to your neck, or whatever. How do you communicate? Your telephone is disappeared underwater. 147\ 00:19:45.130 --> 00:19:46.729\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: The dog has run away. 148\ 00:19:46.840 --> 00:19:49.319\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: You're in deep trouble. 149\ 00:19:49.320 --> 00:19:52.980\ Andrew Clegg - Martock, Somerset: We find the list creates itself after the flood. 150\ 00:19:52.980 --> 00:19:55.230\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Hey, wellā€¦ 151\ 00:19:56.620 --> 00:19:58.560\ Andrew Clegg - Martock, Somerset: We have quite a long list now. 152\ 00:19:58.560 --> 00:20:03.590\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Whichā€¦ which is not when you want it, you want it before the flood. 153\ 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:12.569\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: But it was actually a very interesting exercise. I mean, I think it's like all these things, you spend a lot of time standing around and waiting, but then, 154\ 00:20:12.570 --> 00:20:35.600\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: it's spread out over a considerable area, and the people who are organizing it have sent out their inspectors with lists of things to inject at certain times, and some people get the times wrong, and sometimes you're already overwhelmed by the previous accident, and therefore you haven't got time to deal with the current one, but that's the way it goes, isn't it? So it'sā€¦ it was actually a very good exercise, I thought. 155\ 00:20:36.320 --> 00:20:45.930\ Andrew Clegg - Martock, Somerset: My garage is full of hydrosnakes. Do you know all about hydrosnakes? They're 20ā€¦ 28 pounds a pair at Screwfix. 156\ 00:20:46.250 --> 00:20:53.560\ Andrew Clegg - Martock, Somerset: And we put them in the back of the Land Rover, and we delivered them just in time. There's one for the front door, and one for the back door. 157\ 00:20:53.830 --> 00:20:54.989\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Well done! 158\ 00:20:54.990 --> 00:20:58.849\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: They're the ones that sort of react chemically when you. 159\ 00:20:58.850 --> 00:21:13.700\ Andrew Clegg - Martock, Somerset: Yes, they're full ofā€¦ they're full of a chemical that expands when the water gets into it. They're actually brilliant. Theyā€¦ they save people thousands of pounds, and they'reā€¦ you know, but they neverā€¦ people will never buy them themselves until after the flood. 160\ 00:21:14.420 --> 00:21:17.279\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: No matter how my. 161\ 00:21:17.600 --> 00:21:20.909\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Times you show them where to get them, and so on. 162\ 00:21:21.940 --> 00:21:22.565\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Right. 163\ 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:24.860\ Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: Oh, there we go. 164\ 00:21:25.230 --> 00:21:38.620\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: We're at the 5-minute mark, Stephen, so I'm going to declare that the meeting has started. For everybody who's new, we do record these sessions, and we make the recordings available to everybody afterwards. 165\ 00:21:38.620 --> 00:21:46.910\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And the copy of the presentation is also available, and the copy of the Zoom session, and the chat, and everything else, soā€¦ 166\ 00:21:46.910 --> 00:21:58.100\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Feel free to say absolutely nothing while the presentation is going on, but do please write comments in the chat system, because that's a really useful way of 167\ 00:21:58.150 --> 00:22:01.719\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: clicking on people's links. If you've got somewhere that isā€¦ 168\ 00:22:01.810 --> 00:22:17.969\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: pertinent to the conversation at the time, by all means, chuck it into the chat session, and we'll pick it up afterwards. And if you have questions for Stephen, then rather than interrupt his conversation, again, throw them into the chat, or just we'll have a Q\&A session when he's finished. 169\ 00:22:18.070 --> 00:22:21.990\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And, we'll see if we can deluge him with, with business. 170\ 00:22:22.210 --> 00:22:29.720\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: So, Stephen, Earl, over to you. Please do feel free to interrupt yourself, or introduce yourself even, and take it from there. 171\ 00:22:30.090 --> 00:22:36.080\ Stephen Dury: Thank you very much indeed, Graeme, and thank you for this invite to present, and I'm going to attempt 172\ 00:22:36.310 --> 00:22:41.519\ Stephen Dury: to share my screen. I hope this works. snip - timeout to resolve presentation issues 356\ 00:35:57.630 --> 00:36:02.899\ Stephen Dury: Right, wellā€¦ Iā€¦ Shel, are we ready to go, then? 357\ 00:36:02.900 --> 00:36:04.620\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Go for it, it's all yours, Stephen. 358\ 00:36:04.620 --> 00:36:11.469\ Stephen Dury: Yeah, okay. So, thank you everyone. So, I'm Steve Jury, Somerset Council, Nature Recovery and Partnerships Manager. 359\ 00:36:11.560 --> 00:36:26.440\ Stephen Dury: And I shallā€¦ my talk is on understanding local nature recovery strategies, so what they are, why they matter, and how it will guide local action for nature's recovery. So, next slide, please, Graeme. 360\ 00:36:30.050 --> 00:36:44.599\ Stephen Dury: So, this will encompass why do we need a local nature recovery strategy, what is the purpose of LNRS, what will the LNRS do, and what will it not do? I'll give some examples from the Somerset LNRS. 361\ 00:36:44.600 --> 00:36:51.360\ Stephen Dury: And I'll also talk a little bit around how will the LNRS be delivered. Next slide, please. 362\ 00:36:54.750 --> 00:37:09.610\ Stephen Dury: So, as set out in the UK State of Nature Report 2023, nature is in trouble. England is considered to be one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. It ranked 228th 363\ 00:37:09.720 --> 00:37:28.419\ Stephen Dury: out of 240 countries in a study commissioned by the Natural History Museum, it has experienced a significant loss of biodiversity in the last 50 years alone, with around 13% of species in England threatened with extinction. 364\ 00:37:28.540 --> 00:37:33.480\ Stephen Dury: Most of the important habitats for nature are in poor condition. 365\ 00:37:33.590 --> 00:37:42.560\ Stephen Dury: But, more optimistically, the report does say that it's not too late, and that restoration projects can, and do. 366\ 00:37:42.650 --> 00:37:49.190\ Stephen Dury: Have clear benefits for nature and people, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation. 367\ 00:37:49.280 --> 00:37:57.299\ Stephen Dury: And the Environment Act in 2021 brought into law requirements to halt the decline of species 368\ 00:37:57.370 --> 00:38:12.639\ Stephen Dury: and improve our natural environment. And Somerset is one of 48 strategy areas in England that are required by the Environment Act to develop a local nature recovery strategy for their area. Next slide, please. 369\ 00:38:14.460 --> 00:38:25.640\ Stephen Dury: So, the purpose of LNRSs, so, they are new strategy system of spatial strategies for nature's recovery, as brought in by the Environment Act. 370\ 00:38:25.820 --> 00:38:38.609\ Stephen Dury: They will help reverse the ongoing decline of nature and biodiversity in England. This decline has profound implications for the long-term health 371\ 00:38:38.740 --> 00:38:42.820\ Stephen Dury: Well-being and livelihood of communities. 372\ 00:38:42.970 --> 00:38:55.389\ Stephen Dury: They will provide a clear, place-based plan for restoring and protecting nature in a way that supports both people and the environment. 373\ 00:38:55.820 --> 00:39:12.680\ Stephen Dury: And, this is then used to target resources effectively, so that public funding and private investment can be directed to those areas that will make the biggest difference for nature. Next slide. 374\ 00:39:15.330 --> 00:39:20.210\ Stephen Dury: So, what will the LLRS do, and what will it not do? Next slide. 375\ 00:39:22.070 --> 00:39:30.229\ Stephen Dury: So, two most important things it does are it identifies priorities, and it maps opportunities. 376\ 00:39:30.350 --> 00:39:49.060\ Stephen Dury: So it sets out the most important local priorities for nature recovery, through a structured, evidence-based, and locally informed process. So, for example, this might include restoring wetlands, planting woodlands, or creating urban green spaces. 377\ 00:39:49.190 --> 00:40:03.069\ Stephen Dury: It also links those local priorities with national environmental targets. So, for example, there is a national environment target to increase woodland cover in the UK 378\ 00:40:03.260 --> 00:40:09.260\ Stephen Dury: From 14.5% to 16.5% by 2050. 379\ 00:40:09.700 --> 00:40:13.350\ Stephen Dury: Secondly, so mapping opportunitiesā€¦ 380\ 00:40:13.490 --> 00:40:32.119\ Stephen Dury: It will produce a map showing where actions would have the most benefit for wildlife, people, and the climate. It highlights existing important habitats, and it shows opportunities for new habitats, or improvements. Next slide. 381\ 00:40:34.180 --> 00:40:54.149\ Stephen Dury: So furthermore, once it's done this, this will then guide investment and action, so it provides a blueprint for farmers, landowners, councils, and developers to align their projects with nature recovery goals. So once published, it becomes the reference document 382\ 00:40:54.190 --> 00:40:57.400\ Stephen Dury: used by funders, planners. 383\ 00:40:57.520 --> 00:41:09.640\ Stephen Dury: Land managers and delivery bodies, so that future spending and projects align with the agreed map and priorities, rather than being scattered ad hoc. 384\ 00:41:10.060 --> 00:41:22.550\ Stephen Dury: It supports collaboration, so it encourages local partnerships between councils, community groups, environmental organisations, businesses, and landowners. 385\ 00:41:22.670 --> 00:41:27.190\ Stephen Dury: So by giving everyone the same evidence, the same map. 386\ 00:41:27.310 --> 00:41:35.539\ Stephen Dury: And the same agreed priorities to work from, instead of each actor pursuing separate agendas in isolation. 387\ 00:41:35.860 --> 00:41:37.319\ Stephen Dury: Next slide, please. 388\ 00:41:40.090 --> 00:41:54.699\ Stephen Dury: And although, whilst nature recovery is a core aim, LNRSs also promote wider environmental benefits, the so-called ecosystem services. So, such as improving water and air quality. 389\ 00:41:54.740 --> 00:42:03.579\ Stephen Dury: Reducing flood risks and improving climate resilience, and providing better access to nature for people's health and wellbeing. 390\ 00:42:03.760 --> 00:42:13.149\ Stephen Dury: So, in short, an LNRS tells everyone where and what to do to recover nature locally, making sure that the effort adds up to meaningful 391\ 00:42:13.260 --> 00:42:18.470\ Stephen Dury: ecological and societal outcomes. Next slide. 392\ 00:42:21.100 --> 00:42:33.609\ Stephen Dury: So, in terms of, why the local nature recovery strategy is important for everyone, so for communities, it gives communities a clear picture of where nature can be restored or enhanced. 393\ 00:42:33.720 --> 00:42:48.230\ Stephen Dury: It helps local groups, schools, and volunteers plan projects that connect habitats, improve public spaces, and make villages and towns more resilient to flooding, heat, and pollution. 394\ 00:42:48.390 --> 00:43:02.280\ Stephen Dury: For people, it supports healthier, greener places to live, so more trees, cleaner water, richer wildlife, and easier access to nature, close to home. 395\ 00:43:02.390 --> 00:43:20.350\ Stephen Dury: And it also supports practical benefits, so shade in hot water, natural flood defences, and landscapes that absorb carbon and store water. So, LNRS has influenced how land and nature-based solutions improve local health. 396\ 00:43:20.460 --> 00:43:24.440\ Stephen Dury: safety, and quality of life. Next slide. 397\ 00:43:26.270 --> 00:43:39.480\ Stephen Dury: So, for landowners and farmers, the LNRS identifies where land management can deliver the greatest benefit for wildlife, soil health, and the wider community, whilst remaining fully voluntary. 398\ 00:43:39.710 --> 00:43:44.479\ Stephen Dury: It helps guide funding opportunities, such as environmental land management schemes. 399\ 00:43:44.670 --> 00:43:50.450\ Stephen Dury: And private nature finance, so that efforts and investment go to the right places. 400\ 00:43:50.570 --> 00:44:07.290\ Stephen Dury: And for local decision makers, it provides an evidence-based, shared map of priorities for nature recovery across the county, so that councils, public bodies and organisations can use it to coordinate plans, target grants. 401\ 00:44:07.370 --> 00:44:14.309\ Stephen Dury: and ensure local development and infrastructure support biodiversity goals. Next slide. 402\ 00:44:16.120 --> 00:44:24.479\ Stephen Dury: What it does not do, so it does not create new legal designations or protections. 403\ 00:44:24.750 --> 00:44:28.189\ Stephen Dury: It does not regulate or impose 404\ 00:44:28.310 --> 00:44:42.279\ Stephen Dury: obligations, it guides rather than compels. So being mapped as an opportunity area does not force landowners to take action, change land use, or manage land in a certain way. 405\ 00:44:42.420 --> 00:44:51.560\ Stephen Dury: It doesn't provide funding directly. It can influence where funding should go, but it doesn't guarantee investment by itself. 406\ 00:44:51.930 --> 00:45:00.800\ Stephen Dury: It doesn't replace planning or environmental law, so it doesn't override local plans, permits, or statutory protections. 407\ 00:45:01.030 --> 00:45:07.570\ Stephen Dury: It doesn't, in itself, deliver projects. It is a strategy and evidence base. 408\ 00:45:07.740 --> 00:45:13.260\ Stephen Dury: Implementation depends on landowners, partners, and funders. 409\ 00:45:13.520 --> 00:45:21.699\ Stephen Dury: and it doesn't freeze the map permanently, the LNRS will be updated over time as evidence and circumstances change. 410\ 00:45:21.970 --> 00:45:37.239\ Stephen Dury: So, in short, an LRS guides where and how nature recovery is best delivered, but it does not compel, fund, permit, or directly implement actions. Next slide. 411\ 00:45:38.830 --> 00:45:49.499\ Stephen Dury: So these are some of the examples for priorities in nature recovery. So across the 48 local nature recovery strategies across the country, you'll have one for your region, your county. 412\ 00:45:49.650 --> 00:45:55.849\ Stephen Dury: So, priorities could be increased biodiversity in urban areas, nature-based solutions used to address 413\ 00:45:56.000 --> 00:46:08.929\ Stephen Dury: flood risk, air quality, and heat stress, and so on. And these are all developed locally with lots of compensation and engagement locally. Next slide. 414\ 00:46:10.110 --> 00:46:13.860\ Stephen Dury: And so those priorities are the outcome we wish to see achieved. 415\ 00:46:14.010 --> 00:46:20.699\ Stephen Dury: The actions, or the measures to achieve those priorities are also listed in NLRS. 416\ 00:46:20.710 --> 00:46:35.080\ Stephen Dury: And I'm conscious I've got a few slides here, Graeme, so I might speed up or skip some of them, because we do want to leave a bit of time for Q\&A, but I'llā€¦ let me know, Graeme, when I've got 5 minutes left, and I'll adjust accordingly. 417\ 00:46:35.410 --> 00:46:39.219\ Stephen Dury: So these are some of the, potential measures 418\ 00:46:39.430 --> 00:46:48.509\ Stephen Dury: That support, the priorities, increase biodiversity in urban areas, and improve connection to nature. Next slide. 419\ 00:46:50.270 --> 00:46:54.830\ Stephen Dury: So, what is in the Somerset Local Nature Recovery Strategy? Next slide. 420\ 00:46:56.250 --> 00:47:05.920\ Stephen Dury: So, the NNRSā€¦ all NNRSs are formed of two main parts, a written report, statement to biodiversity priorities, and the local habitat map. 421\ 00:47:06.160 --> 00:47:13.830\ Stephen Dury: So the habitats, priorities and potential measures in the documentā€¦ in the report, identify what we want to do. 422\ 00:47:13.980 --> 00:47:21.869\ Stephen Dury: The potential measures are then presented on the map, showing where these would deliver the greatest benefit. Next slide. 423\ 00:47:23.950 --> 00:47:38.430\ Stephen Dury: So, I'll just skip over this one very quickly, so that all LNRSs conform to the DEFRA guidance on what they should contain, and that slide just lists what they should contain. Next slide. 424\ 00:47:40.550 --> 00:47:46.999\ Stephen Dury: And there's alsoā€¦ we look at species, endangered species, we draw up a short list of 425\ 00:47:47.120 --> 00:48:04.099\ Stephen Dury: priority species inā€¦ in our case in Somerset that are endangered, and weā€¦ some of these require their own bespoke measures, so we also have a section on those species that require additional bespoke measures. Next slide. 426\ 00:48:05.820 --> 00:48:12.290\ Stephen Dury: And then theā€¦ so the very important element is the map, so this contains two layers. 427\ 00:48:12.340 --> 00:48:20.270\ Stephen Dury: So it contains those areas that are already designated, the already important areas. 428\ 00:48:20.300 --> 00:48:36.229\ Stephen Dury: known in the jargon as areas of particular importance for biodiversity, and then most importantly, it contains those areas that, we, weā€¦ I have identified as the most important areas 429\ 00:48:36.270 --> 00:48:45.240\ Stephen Dury: to restore and create new habitats, and these are called areas that could become of particular importance. Next slide. 430\ 00:48:49.030 --> 00:48:54.169\ Stephen Dury: So, this is just an example of the map. So, the colored areas are, 431\ 00:48:54.230 --> 00:49:13.500\ Stephen Dury: those areas thatā€¦ the opportunity areas that could become of particular importance, colored according to different habitat types, and you can click on any of those, and you can see there is a preferred action measure, and there may be some alternative options to do on that site. So this is reallyā€¦ 432\ 00:49:13.520 --> 00:49:17.589\ Stephen Dury: the core part of the LNRS. Next slide. 433\ 00:49:19.500 --> 00:49:33.449\ Stephen Dury: So we've seen, the LNRS contains what we're going to do, we've seen it contains where we're going to do it, and the final element is who is going to make it happen. Next slide. 434\ 00:49:34.410 --> 00:49:44.440\ Stephen Dury: And in the Somerset LNS, we have a chapter on how different end user groups can use the LNRS, and I'm sure all LNRSs will contain this. Next slide. 435\ 00:49:47.860 --> 00:49:58.850\ Stephen Dury: So, for example, we have a section on individuals, community groups, and businesses, how they can use it. We have some, some case studies that we include as well. Next slide. 436\ 00:50:01.100 --> 00:50:08.980\ Stephen Dury: We also have a section on town and parish councils, and there's a case study there from town council. Next slide. 437\ 00:50:11.070 --> 00:50:17.959\ Stephen Dury: We'll very briefly, just outline some of the ways in which individuals, community groups, and businesses can use an LRS. 438\ 00:50:19.550 --> 00:50:26.219\ Stephen Dury: And, well, I won't spend too much time on this, because we're a bit short of time, but those are the ways that, 439\ 00:50:26.590 --> 00:50:32.460\ Stephen Dury: We have outlined that individuals, community groups, and businesses can use an LNRS. Next slide. 440\ 00:50:33.720 --> 00:50:39.450\ Stephen Dury: And, likewise, and then the next two slides might be of more interest to you. 441\ 00:50:40.280 --> 00:50:51.869\ Stephen Dury: Next slide. How a parish council can use a LNRS, so it can be used to inform local projects and priorities, guide responses to planning proposals. 442\ 00:50:52.280 --> 00:50:56.639\ Stephen Dury: Support funding bids, and partnerships. Next slide. 443\ 00:50:58.780 --> 00:51:01.380\ Stephen Dury: Guide neighborhood plans. 444\ 00:51:01.680 --> 00:51:15.019\ Stephen Dury: connect with landowners and community groups, and contribute local knowledge. I'm skimming over these, but I'm assuming you will be sending these slides around, Graham, to everyone to read at their leisure. Next slide. 445\ 00:51:16.930 --> 00:51:21.139\ Stephen Dury: And how was it delivered? We're on the last couple of slides now. Next slide. 446\ 00:51:22.310 --> 00:51:26.789\ Stephen Dury: Well, there is aā€¦ there are delivery mechanisms that are based in law. 447\ 00:51:26.920 --> 00:51:33.009\ Stephen Dury: I'm sure you've all heard of biodiversity net gain, where developers have to, 448\ 00:51:33.330 --> 00:51:38.290\ Stephen Dury: Result in a 10% net gain in biodiversity of anything that they destroy on site. 449\ 00:51:38.490 --> 00:51:42.130\ Stephen Dury: And those opportunity areas identified. 450\ 00:51:42.130 --> 00:51:42.710\ lisa scott: Oh, mate. 451\ 00:51:42.710 --> 00:51:45.470\ Stephen Dury: considered areas that are strategic significantly. 452\ 00:51:45.470 --> 00:51:46.269\ lisa scott: If you can apply. 453\ 00:51:50.740 --> 00:52:05.260\ Stephen Dury: And, so it makes it attractive for both developers and the landowners to choose those sites if developer has to look off-site for where to, implement biodiversity net gain. 454\ 00:52:05.310 --> 00:52:11.159\ Stephen Dury: those opportunity areas identified through an LNRS are more likely to be chosen. 455\ 00:52:11.280 --> 00:52:18.079\ Stephen Dury: There is a duty on public authorities to conserve and enhance the environment. This is a legal duty. 456\ 00:52:18.440 --> 00:52:21.820\ Stephen Dury: And they will use the LNRS 457\ 00:52:21.960 --> 00:52:32.019\ Stephen Dury: to inform their relevant regulatory decisions. And also, it influences planners, both in local plan development. 458\ 00:52:32.360 --> 00:52:43.349\ Stephen Dury: So, local planning authorities need to take the LNRS into account when developing their local plans, and also they need to use the LNRS as an evidence base 459\ 00:52:44.340 --> 00:52:54.109\ Stephen Dury: that may be a material consideration in planning decisions. So the NRS carries some weight in the planning process. Next slide. 460\ 00:52:56.910 --> 00:53:11.150\ Stephen Dury: And so, in summary, there's a whole range of delivery mechanisms of which, the LNRS, outcomes will be delivered. So, through planning and regulation, which I've summarized in the previous slide. 461\ 00:53:11.560 --> 00:53:25.079\ Stephen Dury: through public funding, so agri-environment schemes, ELMS, and other grants that pay farmers, landowners, community bodies, willā€¦ may well reference the LNRS as we move forward. 462\ 00:53:25.830 --> 00:53:38.479\ Stephen Dury: Private finance and offset, so developers, utilities, and corporates, use the LNRS map to target compensated or voluntary nature investment to the right places. 463\ 00:53:38.950 --> 00:53:55.590\ Stephen Dury: partnership projects, so catchment groups, NGOs, councils and landowners working together to co-deliver restoration of nature-based solutions in the priority zones that have been identified within the LNRS. 464\ 00:53:56.020 --> 00:54:09.769\ Stephen Dury: And, finally, to say there will be iterative monitoring and revision. Progress is tracked, and the strategy updated, so resources keep flowing to the highest leverage action. 465\ 00:54:11.740 --> 00:54:13.630\ Stephen Dury: One of the final slides. 466\ 00:54:15.600 --> 00:54:26.029\ Stephen Dury: So, this government have stated that the LNRSs will be reviewed in 3 to 10 years, and republished, updated with any new evidence. 467\ 00:54:26.240 --> 00:54:27.819\ Stephen Dury: That has arisen. 468\ 00:54:28.100 --> 00:54:31.000\ Stephen Dury: And we will measure progress 469\ 00:54:31.260 --> 00:54:39.689\ Stephen Dury: We will be askedā€¦ local authorities will be asked to monitor against national and local targets. 470\ 00:54:39.840 --> 00:54:42.809\ lisa scott: And Definitely will be, providing. 471\ 00:54:42.910 --> 00:54:51.180\ Stephen Dury: More information on that, in the very near future, on how the To report on progress. 472\ 00:54:51.370 --> 00:54:54.030\ Stephen Dury: And that is the final slide. 473\ 00:54:54.160 --> 00:55:01.409\ Stephen Dury: A bit of a rush through, so apologies for that, but I hope you found that interesting. 474\ 00:55:04.350 --> 00:55:14.929\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Peter, I'm sorry, Peter. Thank you so much for that, Steve, and I'm sure there's going to be a host of questions 475\ 00:55:15.080 --> 00:55:27.249\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And I'll let the others get along with it before I ask you all of mine, except just to say that, we discovered yours because you sent out a document that says you're going to, consult. 476\ 00:55:30.360 --> 00:55:33.330\ Cllr Allan Wilson Edgmond Shropshire: Graham, can you mute Lisa Scott, please? 477\ 00:55:33.330 --> 00:55:34.210\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Not doing that. 478\ 00:55:34.540 --> 00:55:35.330\ lisa scott: Sorry. 479\ 00:55:40.810 --> 00:55:51.769\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: So, Somerset is bringing out a consultation period with everybody that's going to be involved. Is that a requirement? Do you think all 48 areas are going to do that? 480\ 00:55:51.970 --> 00:56:00.770\ Stephen Dury: Yes, all 48 hours areas. It is a requirement, so ours is currently out to public consultation, for a six-week period. 481\ 00:56:00.870 --> 00:56:13.790\ Stephen Dury: All have either done it, or are in the process of doing it now, or will be doing it very shortly. So, if in your area you've not heard about it yet, keep an eye out for it, because it will 482\ 00:56:13.790 --> 00:56:20.919\ Stephen Dury: probably come up soon. And we, you know, we want to use the public consultation as an opportunity to make sure 483\ 00:56:21.040 --> 00:56:37.719\ Stephen Dury: that what we are saying is accurate and evidence-based, so it's a bit of sense-checking, really, so it's very important. We've done a lot of public engagement, but, you know, not everyone would have seen the draft. We now have a draft. 484\ 00:56:37.840 --> 00:56:48.159\ Stephen Dury: We want to get it sense-checked to make sure that when it's published, it's as accurate as it canā€¦ it's never going to be perfect, but we want it to be as accurate as it can be. 485\ 00:56:48.390 --> 00:56:52.889\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And my last question for you, Steve, is do you see a lot of 486\ 00:56:53.590 --> 00:57:02.270\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: communication between you and other LRSs. If someone learns something, does it get passed around, or are you all operating in silos still? 487\ 00:57:02.990 --> 00:57:20.049\ Stephen Dury: No, very much so. We have a Southwest regional group, stretching from Gloucestershire across Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, West of England Combined Authority, where we regularly meet once a month to compare notes. 488\ 00:57:20.360 --> 00:57:23.670\ Stephen Dury: And that's been very useful. And also. 489\ 00:57:23.750 --> 00:57:37.459\ Stephen Dury: ensure a degree of consistency across boundaries, because we've all takenā€¦ we've been given flexibility in how we produce the maps, you know, what type of modeling we use, how we put them together. 490\ 00:57:37.500 --> 00:57:51.879\ Stephen Dury: So there is a possibility for a degree of inconsistency there, but by working closely together, we make sure that there are no very peculiar, sharp boundary lines at boundaries. 491\ 00:57:51.890 --> 00:57:58.869\ Stephen Dury: So we have been working very closely together, and I hope that will continue as weā€¦ as the delivery phase starts. 492\ 00:57:58.870 --> 00:58:06.629\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Right, so once Somerset has decided that they're going to share all their data with Parish Online, we can expect it to go nationwide. Splendid. 493\ 00:58:06.930 --> 00:58:09.659\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Should, would you like to carry on, please? 494\ 00:58:10.470 --> 00:58:13.690\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Yeah, thank you, and I'd like to thank Steve for, 495\ 00:58:14.080 --> 00:58:19.200\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: a very interesting whistle-top, sort of tour of LNRS. 496\ 00:58:19.370 --> 00:58:22.450\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: I, I, I think fundamentally, it's, 497\ 00:58:22.730 --> 00:58:26.310\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: A really good, worthwhile, thing to do. 498\ 00:58:26.520 --> 00:58:36.640\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Many things worry me about it, though. On the implementation side, a lot seems to rest with the landowners and farmers. 499\ 00:58:37.160 --> 00:58:45.610\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: And as far as I'm aware, the farmers have been hammered at the moment. The ELMS program has been suspended. 500\ 00:58:45.740 --> 00:58:50.969\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: They are not getting the proper funding for land regeneration. 501\ 00:58:51.210 --> 00:58:54.460\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: hedge planting, this, that, and the other. Soā€¦ 502\ 00:58:54.570 --> 00:58:57.739\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: And, from a report yesterday. 503\ 00:58:57.880 --> 00:59:03.390\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: About 40% of farmers are either losing money or just breaking even. 504\ 00:59:03.500 --> 00:59:12.369\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: I don't think they can be expected to participate in something like this if it is possibly going to affect their bottom line. 505\ 00:59:12.640 --> 00:59:15.089\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: And my other, sort of, mainā€¦ 506\ 00:59:15.370 --> 00:59:20.099\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Query is about how we're measuring the results? 507\ 00:59:20.510 --> 00:59:26.839\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: We know that we're one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. 508\ 00:59:26.990 --> 00:59:32.040\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: We are going to implement some of these things. Should we not be measuring the outcomes? 509\ 00:59:32.190 --> 00:59:39.469\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: And I'm not entirely sure who's going to measure, BNG for 10 years, especially if it's off-site. 510\ 00:59:40.240 --> 00:59:42.400\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: I was wondering if you could comment on those. 511\ 00:59:43.840 --> 00:59:54.949\ Stephen Dury: Yes, thank you, thank you for those questions, Stuart. So, in terms of the farmers, I do very much sympathise. I mean, in some rural counties like Somerset. 512\ 00:59:55.410 --> 01:00:03.690\ Stephen Dury: 75% of our farm is farmland, so farmers are really important in terms of delivering nature recovery. 513\ 01:00:03.740 --> 01:00:22.350\ Stephen Dury: But that partly depends on what incentives, and funding are available. And you're quite right, some of the ELMS has been pulledā€¦ well, certainly paused, if not pulled, so Sustainable Farming Initiative, SFI, wasā€¦ was paused. I gather it will be coming back. 514\ 01:00:22.720 --> 01:00:26.930\ Stephen Dury: I think the intention, DEFRA's intention. 515\ 01:00:27.090 --> 01:00:33.820\ Stephen Dury: is to align some of the elms schemes moving forward. 516\ 01:00:34.330 --> 01:00:47.699\ Stephen Dury: to make reference to LNRS. So, potentially, if land is identified on an LNRS map, it may give that farmer, that landowner, if it's part of their land. 517\ 01:00:48.020 --> 01:00:58.520\ Stephen Dury: greater opportunities to tap into some of the agri-environment funding. At the moment, the links aren't there, apart from through landscape recovery schemes. 518\ 01:00:58.520 --> 01:01:11.449\ Stephen Dury: But I think that is the attention. It's interesting, when we ran workshops with farmers, we initially thought they would be quite nervous about having their land identified on an LNRS, you know, in case they were worried about 519\ 01:01:11.450 --> 01:01:22.140\ Stephen Dury: protections and designations, but actually, it appears that farmers areā€¦ the feedback we've had, farmers are more worried if their land isn't identified on an LNS, 520\ 01:01:22.140 --> 01:01:37.229\ Stephen Dury: Because they then think, well, that might reduce their chances of some future funding. But farmers are really important, and it depends so much on the national funding scenario, which is obviously, you know, down to government 521\ 01:01:37.260 --> 01:01:39.660\ Stephen Dury: Control and government finances. 522\ 01:01:39.700 --> 01:01:43.630\ Stephen Dury: In terms of measuring results. 523\ 01:01:43.810 --> 01:01:59.489\ Stephen Dury: That is important, and DEFRA are very keen for all 48 areas covered by an LNRS to monitor results, because DEFRA have to do their own reporting under the Environment Act. 524\ 01:01:59.610 --> 01:02:05.890\ Stephen Dury: on the national targets, and how the national targets are being met. So DEFRA's thinking on this is that 525\ 01:02:05.960 --> 01:02:11.180\ Stephen Dury: if all 48, LNRS regions in England, covering the whole of England. 526\ 01:02:11.250 --> 01:02:22.500\ Stephen Dury: can report on, what's, being, achieved locally, at a local level. This can then all be collated and feed into the national targets. 527\ 01:02:22.520 --> 01:02:38.760\ Stephen Dury: So we haven't had all the information exactly about how we're going to report, but there is an expectation that local authorities will collect information and report. So those achieved through public funding, will probably be reported by the DEFRA 528\ 01:02:38.760 --> 01:02:48.460\ Stephen Dury: Arms Length Bodies, Natural England, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, everything else will need to be collected and reported by local authorities. 529\ 01:02:49.240 --> 01:02:53.060\ Stephen Dury: And finally, BNG, how are we going to measure that? 530\ 01:02:53.380 --> 01:03:06.750\ Stephen Dury: Well, there is aā€¦ I gather there is a legal requirement for, contracts to be joined upā€¦ to be drawn up when BNG agreements are drawn up. 531\ 01:03:06.950 --> 01:03:10.190\ Stephen Dury: And there will have to be monitoring and surveying 532\ 01:03:10.370 --> 01:03:24.019\ Stephen Dury: at least a couple of times as part of that agreement. It's a long-term agreement. I don't know all the legal detail, but it is a legal requirement. That's what I do understand. 533\ 01:03:24.170 --> 01:03:30.259\ Stephen Dury: And there will have to be some monitoring to ensure that there is a change taking place. 534\ 01:03:32.720 --> 01:03:34.980\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Thank you very much, Stephen. Amanda, you're next. 535\ 01:03:34.980 --> 01:03:42.670\ Amanda Davis: Thank you, and thank you for the presentation. I've been to so many presentations on nature, recovery strategies. 536\ 01:03:42.680 --> 01:03:56.509\ Amanda Davis: And I have to say, that was one of the clearest I've heard. So, thank you for that snapshot. I'm, yeah, very helpful, thank you. So, I'm both a parish councillor and a board member of our Cotsword National Landscape. 537\ 01:03:56.630 --> 01:04:12.699\ Amanda Davis: And, my question's a simple one, it's just about understanding the areas. The 48 areas, are they coterminous with, unitaries? Counties? Which authority boundary is it thatā€¦ 538\ 01:04:12.700 --> 01:04:17.479\ Stephen Dury: has a LRā€¦ a local nature recovery strategy. 539\ 01:04:17.760 --> 01:04:18.730\ Stephen Dury: Bit of a tongue twister. 540\ 01:04:18.730 --> 01:04:23.350\ Amanda Davis: It is, isn't it? LRNS is what I'm used to saying. 541\ 01:04:23.990 --> 01:04:40.919\ Stephen Dury: Itā€¦ it is upper-tier local authorities, but in some areas, it's combined authorities. So, for example, inā€¦ we have the West of England Combined Authority, which is Bathur North East Somerset, North Somerset, I think it's South Gloucestershire and Bristolā€¦ Bristol. 542\ 01:04:41.020 --> 01:04:58.300\ Stephen Dury: So generally it's upper tier, but if there is an existing combined authority, it will be the combined authority, and as part of devolution, I think there's a move towards more combined authorities, and the plan is that if new combined authorities are formed. 543\ 01:04:58.510 --> 01:05:09.050\ Stephen Dury: the responsibility for reporting will then fall on the combined authority rather than the constituent, existing LNRS regions. 544\ 01:05:10.220 --> 01:05:24.280\ Amanda Davis: That's superbly helpful. I'm in Gloucestershire, where we have got reorganisation, and then devolution to look forward to. So, and then we've got the not coterminous in any way at all, Cotswold National Landscape Boundary. 545\ 01:05:24.930 --> 01:05:25.250\ Stephen Dury: Right now. 546\ 01:05:25.250 --> 01:05:34.559\ Amanda Davis: very much about partnership working and being aware of each other's data and working together. But what we do have with being a local, with being aā€¦ 547\ 01:05:34.560 --> 01:05:47.809\ Amanda Davis: national landscape is, we have DEFRA funding to distribute, and so we can enable and sort of lever in some of this change with the help of funding that maybe other areas don't have. 548\ 01:05:47.820 --> 01:06:01.880\ Amanda Davis: So, that helps, and it also helps the authorities to work with us as well, because there's that bit of incentive. It'd be nice if it was more widely available to more areas, and not just the national landscapes. 549\ 01:06:01.880 --> 01:06:12.540\ Amanda Davis: But I guess we've got to do more than our fair share, if you like. Well, it is a fair share, by us doing a lot more, because we're in a protected landscape, and so we can contribute so much more. 550\ 01:06:13.280 --> 01:06:27.240\ Stephen Dury: Absolutely, I think there is an expectation that national landscapes and national parks will do a fair amount of the heavy lifting on this, because they have, you know, they are designated areas for their landscapes, they have a lot of potential for nature recovery. 551\ 01:06:27.260 --> 01:06:37.780\ Stephen Dury: And they have very good partnerships, they have some funding streams in place, and I'm aware that the Cotswold National Landscape are doing some, really, some superb work. I've come across some of it. 552\ 01:06:37.850 --> 01:06:41.919\ Stephen Dury: So, it's great that they are in that position to be able to do that. 553\ 01:06:43.460 --> 01:07:07.710\ Amanda Davis: I guess the, if Iā€¦ if I may just say one more thing, it'sā€¦ it's the challenge is getting the parish and town councils within those areas to understand what's being done. And, whereas the principal authorities' representatives on the board of Cotswold National Landscape, are very closely involved with their local nature recovery strategy, the formation, hearing it presented from start to finish. 554\ 01:07:07.830 --> 01:07:23.670\ Amanda Davis: and the implications of it. Parish and town councils really don't get to hear it. And when my parish and my parish council was consulted on our Gloucestershire one, which the consultation's now finished, it found it almost too difficult 555\ 01:07:23.690 --> 01:07:38.209\ Amanda Davis: And in the end, it wasā€¦ it was delegated to individual councillors to, to write their own responses in, and, you know, who knows whatā€¦ what peopleā€¦ the degree to which people would have looked at it. It almost needs a presentation like you've just given. 556\ 01:07:38.410 --> 01:07:48.999\ Amanda Davis: Then I look at the map together in a room, and saying, as I looked at mine, my new developmentā€¦ I live in a new development where it's 8 years old. 557\ 01:07:49.030 --> 01:08:06.019\ Amanda Davis: And it's down for, flood area restoration. In other words, water, well, short of drowning our new estate. That's not gonna happen. So I guess that's the nature of this stage of, having a look at it. It's sense-checking at this stage, isn't it? 558\ 01:08:06.020 --> 01:08:20.309\ Stephen Dury: Yeah, absolutely, it's sense checking, and that's the sort of feedback that we would hope to get, you know, if something's being earmarked as a sort of flood storage area, and it's actually now a development, there's obviously something gone a little bit awry there. 559\ 01:08:20.310 --> 01:08:27.899\ Amanda Davis: But I guess what I'm saying is that connect is not quite there, that unless we go out to these parish and town councils can be quite small. 560\ 01:08:27.899 --> 01:08:41.859\ Amanda Davis: And can be quite, what's the word? They're not used to new things, necessarily. And if we're just used to looking at planning applications, and maybe the local plan, and if we're really lucky, a neighbourhood plan. 561\ 01:08:42.010 --> 01:08:53.709\ Amanda Davis: This is something that'sā€¦ that's new, and it's kind of the how can we spread thin resource, scarce resources out so thinly to. 562\ 01:08:53.710 --> 01:08:54.090\ Stephen Dury: Oh, no. 563\ 01:08:54.090 --> 01:08:57.210\ Amanda Davis: Plans to help do this sense checking. 564\ 01:08:57.569 --> 01:09:05.869\ Stephen Dury: I guess it comes down to resourcing and capacityā€¦ staff capacity within local authorities. I mean, we'veā€¦ I know in Somerset, we've tried to do some engagement 565\ 01:09:05.929 --> 01:09:15.869\ Stephen Dury: And as we move to delivery, we hope to do more engagement, particularly with parish councils and clusters of parish councils. In fact, we've just hired two 566\ 01:09:15.869 --> 01:09:26.579\ Stephen Dury: graduates, both of whom are on this call, I believe, who I hope will be assisting with that. It is very important to go out, raise awareness. 567\ 01:09:26.579 --> 01:09:37.049\ Stephen Dury: make sure people are aware that the local nature recovery strategy exists, and what opportunities it offers. And that comes down to staff resources within local authorities. 568\ 01:09:37.069 --> 01:09:46.399\ Stephen Dury: But we have got a littleā€¦ we've got some funding for at least the first year, as we transition to delivery. We hope we will secure funding beyond that as well. 569\ 01:09:47.300 --> 01:09:47.640\ Amanda Davis: Thank you. 570\ 01:09:47.649 --> 01:09:48.759\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Maybeā€¦ 571\ 01:09:48.979 --> 01:09:51.489\ Stephen Dury: You raise good points, it's very important, yeah. 572\ 01:09:52.109 --> 01:10:03.759\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Maybe something that Amanda is looking for in the link that Shropshire has put up, Alan Wilson's put up in our chat, that they have prepared a document for all of their parish councils. 573\ 01:10:03.909 --> 01:10:06.999\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: to follow, and I suspect that it could be very useful. 574\ 01:10:08.310 --> 01:10:08.909\ Amanda Davis: Thank you very much. 575\ 01:10:08.910 --> 01:10:17.049\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Tropshire is one of the lead counties, I find, in climate change and so forth, and they're obviously weird on this one, so that might be a very useful link. 576\ 01:10:17.280 --> 01:10:23.430\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Does anyone else have any more points they want to raise, please, or questions for Stuart, for Stephen, I'm sorry. 577\ 01:10:26.540 --> 01:10:43.270\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Well, there you go, Stephen, you've managed to fill the bill and, fill the time as well. Thank you so much, as it was a very clear distinction, and I think that the slideshow that you devote will be very, very useful. I'm going to ask you, Steven, if you would please send it to me as a 578\ 01:10:43.420 --> 01:10:47.960\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: PowerPoint presentation, because then people themselves can use it, rather than 579\ 01:10:48.150 --> 01:10:51.539\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: In a PDF form, there's not much I can do with it from there. 580\ 01:10:52.020 --> 01:10:54.970\ Stephen Dury: I may have to send it by WeTransfer, Graham, because it won't sendā€¦ 581\ 01:10:54.970 --> 01:10:57.499\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Yeah, I'm very happy with that. No problem. 582\ 01:10:57.940 --> 01:10:58.730\ Stephen Dury: Sure. 583\ 01:10:58.960 --> 01:10:59.630\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: M. 584\ 01:11:01.470 --> 01:11:12.789\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: In that case, ladies and gentlemen, I would normally, at this point, cheerfully announce to you what next week's topic of discussion is going to be, but this week, I'm going to say I haven't got the slightest idea. 585\ 01:11:12.990 --> 01:11:16.440\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: But I'm working on it, so we'll see what we can do. 586\ 01:11:16.700 --> 01:11:20.660\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: So keep your eyes peeled, and I'm sure we'll come up with something. 587\ 01:11:20.660 --> 01:11:21.840\ Amanda Davis: Graham, may I 588\ 01:11:22.190 --> 01:11:35.810\ Amanda Davis: Thank you, it's Amanda again. We're currently going through a refresh of our local plan, not least of which because of the housing requirement, that's doubled the requirement to build in the Cotswolds. 589\ 01:11:35.810 --> 01:11:48.050\ Amanda Davis: So I'm imagining we're not alone at our planning authority having to go through this. So what it means for Paris and Town Councils is we're reviewing a number of things, including our green space allocations. 590\ 01:11:48.050 --> 01:11:59.710\ Amanda Davis: And I'm just, you know, I don't know if others are doing the same right now, and whether there might be anything about the different designations. So, for example, we've got some SSSI, 591\ 01:11:59.750 --> 01:12:13.300\ Amanda Davis: We've got, the whole area covered by nature reserve, another bit of scheduled monuments, and then we're looking at, at, I think, rail, railways. We've got some old embankment. 592\ 01:12:13.300 --> 01:12:23.610\ Amanda Davis: that's protected differently, and I'd be really interested to know about the different designations, as itā€¦ as it relates to both nature and planning. 593\ 01:12:24.300 --> 01:12:44.999\ Amanda Davis: So, it kind of follows on from this, but it's also very timely, because we're going through it right now. And then we've got the, Regulation 19 consultation coming up in the new year. And I would imagine, because this has been spurred on by the additional housing requirements, there'll be other areas that are in the same sort of, 594\ 01:12:45.060 --> 01:12:46.250\ Amanda Davis: time frame. 595\ 01:12:46.780 --> 01:12:47.470\ Amanda Davis: So it's justā€¦ 596\ 01:12:47.470 --> 01:12:54.509\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Brief, tantalizing moment, Amanda. I thought you were offering to tell us all about it next week, butā€¦ 597\ 01:12:55.160 --> 01:12:56.890\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Mike, what you had in mind. 598\ 01:12:57.230 --> 01:13:01.009\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Thank you for the ideas, I'll go out and see if I can find anybody to fill the bill. 599\ 01:13:01.170 --> 01:13:14.309\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And that does remind me that if anybody has any ideas that they'd like to see being discussed, or they have people in mind that they know give good presentations, then I would be delighted to hear from you. 600\ 01:13:14.770 --> 01:13:18.000\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: And in the meantime, thank you all very much. 601\ 01:13:18.160 --> 01:13:20.989\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: I will see you next week, I hope. 602\ 01:13:21.280 --> 01:13:22.800\ Cllr.Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Thanks, Graeme. Thanks, Stephen. 603\ 01:13:22.800 --> 01:13:25.290\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Come back and see you all then. Take care. 604\ 01:13:25.290 --> 01:13:26.190\ Amanda Davis: Thank you, as always. 605\ 01:13:26.190 --> 01:13:26.660\ Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration - Isle of Wight: Bye bye. 606\ 01:13:26.660 --> 01:13:28.290\ Ken Huggins north Dorset: Yeah. Bye-bye. Thanks, Graham. *** ### Marked-down version of the presentation (for AI search): ``` # Slide 1 - Steve Dury, Somerset Council - Understanding Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) # Slide 2 - Why do we need a LNRS? - Purpose of LNRS - What will the LNRS do (and not do)? - Examples from Somerset LNRS - How will the LNRS be delivered? # Slide 3: The State of Nature: England - England is widely considered to be one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The Environment Act 2021 brings into law requirements to halt the decline of species and improve our natural environment. - Average 32% decline in speciesā€™ abundance since - 1970. - Average 18% decrease in the distributions of invertebrate species. - Decreases in the distributions of over half of plant species. - 13% of 8,840 - species in England - are threatened. - Source: State of Nature (2023) # Slide 4 - Purpose of LNRS - New statutory system of spatial strategies for natureā€™s recovery - Help reverse an ongoing decline of nature and biodiversity in England. - Provides a clear, place-based plan for restoring and protecting nature in a way that supports both people and the environment - Target resources effectively - Lawton review 2010. ā€œWe need to make our network of sites bigger, better, and more joined up.ā€ # Slide 5 - What will the LNRS do (and not do)? # Slide 6 - What will the LNRS do? (1/3) - 1. Identify Priorities - Set out the most important local priorities for nature recovery ā€“ for example, restoring wetlands, planting woodlands, or creating urban green spaces. - Link local priorities with national environmental targets, like improving biodiversity or tackling climate change. - 2. Map Opportunities - Produce a map showing where actions would have the most benefit for wildlife, people, and the climate. - Highlight existing important habitats (like ancient woodland or peatland). - Show opportunities for new habitats or improvements, such as connecting fragmented sites to allow species to move more easily. # Slide 7 - What will the LNRS do? (2/3) - 3. Guide Investment & Action - Provide a blueprint for farmers, landowners, councils, and developers to align their projects with nature recovery goals. - Help target public and private funding (e.g. government grants, biodiversity net gain contributions, carbon markets) where it will have the biggest impact. - 4. Support Collaboration - Encourage local partnerships between councils, community groups, environmental organisations, businesses, and landowners. - Creates a shared vision for nature recovery that balances environmental, social, and economic needs. # Slide 8 - What will the LNRS do? (3/3) - 5. Deliver Multiple Benefits - By coordinating efforts, LNRSs aim to: - Boost biodiversity by protecting and restoring habitats. - Improve water and air quality. - Reduce flooding risks and improve climate resilience. - Provide better access to nature for peopleā€™s health and wellbeing. - šŸ‘‰ In short: an LNRS tells everyone ā€œwhere and what to doā€ to recover nature locally, making sure effort adds up to meaningful ecological and societal outcomes. # Slide 9 - šŸŒæ Why the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) Matters to Everyone - For Communities#šŸ” Helps plan local projects ā€” tree planting, wildflower areas, ponds, and wildlife corridors.#šŸ’š Supports cleaner air, reduced flooding, and greener neighbourhoods. - For People#šŸš¶ā€ā™€ļø More access to nature-rich places to walk, relax, and enjoy.#šŸŒ¤ Healthier, more resilient environments for future generations. # Slide 10 - šŸŒæ Why the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) Matters to Everyone - For Landowners & Farmers#šŸŒ¾ Shows where land management can bring the greatest benefit for nature and people.#šŸ’° Helps target funding and new environmental schemes. - For Local Decision-Makers#šŸ—ŗ Provides a shared evidence base to guide investment and planning.#šŸ¤ Encourages collaboration across parishes, councils, and communities. # Slide 11: An LNRS does not: - āŒ Create new legal designations or protections - āŒ Regulate or impose obligationsā€“ it guides rather than compels. - āŒ Provide funding directly ā€“ it can influence where funding should go, but it doesnā€™t guarantee investment by itself. - āŒ Replace planning or environmental lawā€“ it does not override local plans, permits, or statutory protections. - āŒ Deliver projects ā€“ it is a strategy and evidence base; implementation depends on landowners, partners, and funders. - āŒ Freeze the map permanently # Slide 12: Examples of priorities for nature recovery - Increase biodiversity in urban areas - Increase tree cover in the region - Create and maintain sustainably functioning waterways - Nature based solutions used to address flood risk, air quality and heat stress - Roads and railways support habitat corridors and nature connectivity - More and better managed - coastal and intertidal habitats, supporting healthy - species populations - 12 # Slide 13: Examples of potential measures to support priorities - opportunities - Create new pocket parks - Increase local food growing - Plant more street trees - Manage gardens for wildlife - Use permeable paving for driveways - Support green prescribing - initiatives to get people outside - Re-naturalise urban rivers and canals - Adapt mowing and maintenance regimes in green spaces - Increase biodiversity in urban areas - Improve peopleā€™s - connection to nature - 13 # Slide 14 - What is in the Somerset LNRS? # Slide 15: What forms the Somerset LNRS? - The LNRS is formed of two parts: - The Statement of Biodiversity Priorities - The Local Habitat Map - The habitats, priorities, and potential measures in the document identify what we want to do. - The potential measures are then presented on the map, showing where these would deliver the greatest benefit. # Slide 16: Statement of Biodiversity Priorities - Identifies and describes the key habitats and species within Somerset. - Identifies the pressures and threats to nature in Somerset. - Identifies opportunities for nature recovery and the wider benefits from these. - Identifies ā€˜prioritiesā€™ and ā€˜potential - measuresā€™ for nature recovery, taking into account wider benefits and nature- based solutions. - The priorities are what we see as being the most important things to achieve in order to deliver nature recovery. - The measures are the actions that if taken, would help to deliver the priorities of the LNRS # Slide 17: Species - Most species will markedly benefit from the LNRS in general - Measures for species recovery are embedded within the relevant habitat sections of the Statement of Biodiversity Priorities - 136 priority species identified from a long list of 396 species assessed as rare, threatened or significant within the county. - From this,15 individual species and 8 species assemblages were identified that require bespoke actions # Slide 18: Local Habitat and Opportunity Map - Created from national and local datasets. - Map a baseline of our important habitats across the LNRS area i.e. irreplaceable habitats and designated sites - Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity: - Identify and map areas where we need to restore and create new habitats to create a joined up sustainable network for nature - Areas that Could Become of Particular Importance # Slide 19 # Slide 20 # Slide 21 # Slide 22 # Slide 23 - How Individuals, Community Groups and Businesses can use a LNRS - Explore opportunity maps to identify opportunities - The map is a starting guide so use it to generate ideas - Assess community spaces to understand which opportunities will work best for your land - The LNRS can provide evidence when commenting on planning applications, showing where nature recovery opportunities or sensitive habitats exist and helping ensure development considers them properly - Decide what projects you want to pursue and explore funding opportunities - Align your priorities with the right funding. # Slide 24 - How Individuals, Community Groups and - Businesses Can Use a LNRS - Develop an action plan for nature recovery - Take guidance from our nature recovery principles and consider the short and long-term, and how you could monitor positive impacts - Help set up or join an existing local community nature recovery group, friends of or voluntary group working to manage local greenspaces for the benefit of both wildlife and people. - Align business operations with nature recovery priorities where possible # Slide 25 - How a Parish Council Can Use a LNRS - Inform local projects and priorities - Use the LNRS maps and priorities to identify where parish-level action would deliver the greatest benefit. It helps focus effort and funding where it matters most. - Guide responses to planning proposals - The LNRS can provide evidence when commenting on planning applications, showing where nature recovery opportunities or sensitive habitats exist and helping ensure development considers them properly - Support funding bids and partnerships - When applying for grants or working with local groups, referencing the LNRS shows that your project fits with wider strategic priorities ā€” making bids stronger and more likely to succeed. # Slide 26 - How a Parish Council Can Use an LNRS - Guide neighbourhood plans - Build LNRS actions into neighbourhood plans or village design statements, ensuring long-term benefits for wildlife and residents. - Connect with landowners and community groups - The strategy can act as a shared starting point for conversations about habitat creation, sustainable farming, or access improvements, helping to coordinate efforts across boundaries. - Contribute local knowledge - As the LNRS is updated over time, parish councils can feed in on-the-ground observations, community priorities and small-scale successes to keep the strategy current and locally relevant. # Slide 27: What is in a Local Nature Recovery Strategy? - WHAT - are we going to do? - e.g. activities that: - Create new habitats (woodland, grassland, wetland) - Improve existing habitats - Support or reintroduce species - Make cities greener - Make farming more sustainable - WHERE - are we going to do it? - e.g. places that: - Reconnect fragmented habitats - Buffer protected sites - Extend habitat corridors (canals, railways) - Reduce green injustice - Mitigate environmental risks (flooding, heat stress, air quality) - WHO - is making it happen? - Everyone has a part to play, big and small - Land managers (anyone from farmers, governments, community centres to your own garden or balcony) - Policy makers (to set new standards) - Investors, developers - 27 # Slide 28 - How will the LNRS be delivered? # Slide 29: Delivery mechanisms ā€“ based in law - Biodiversity Net Gain - LNRSs will determine where habitat creation or enhancement for BNG will be of ā€˜high strategic significanceā€™ supporting a strategic approach to off-site BNG delivery. - Developments aligned with LNRS areas receive higher metrics in net gain calculations, making projects more attractive or profitable for developers and land managers, thereby incentivising action where it matters most - Duty on Public Authorities to Conserve and Enhance the Environment - LNRSs will inform how all public authorities in England meet their legal duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity. - Public authorities must understand how they can contribute. This could be through: - Managing areas of land that they are responsible for in a way that supports what the LNRS proposes - Using the LNRS to inform - relevant regulatory decisions - Planning Law - Planners have a legal requirement to ā€˜take accountā€™ of the content of the LNRS, when preparing local plans and other spatial strategies. - The key documentation is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/natural-environment but is summarised below: - For local plan development: - Local planning authorities should be aware of mapped areas and proposed measures in the relevant LNRS and consider how these are reflected in their local plan. - For planning decisions: - The LNRS is an evidence base that may be a ā€˜material considerationā€™ in planning; the decision-maker determines its relevance based on circumstances. - THE LNRS DOES NOT PREVENT DEVELOPMENT # Slide 30 - In practice delivery comes from a mix of: - Planning and regulation ā€” local plans, development control and mandatory biodiversity net gain use the LNRS to steer where nature gains must land. - Public funding ā€” schemes like ELMs and other grants pay farmers, landowners and community bodies to do the priority actions the LNRS identifies. - Private finance & offsets ā€” developers, utilities and corporates use the LNRS map to target compensated or voluntary nature investment to the right places. - Partnership projects ā€” catchment groups, NGOs, councils and landowners co-deliver restoration and nature-based solutions in priority zones. - Iterative monitoring & revision ā€” progress is tracked and the strategy updated so resources keep flowing to the highest-leverage actions. # Slide 31 - WHEN WILL THE STRATEGY BE REVIEWED? - The Government have stated that LNRS will be reviewed in 3-10 years, at a time that will be determined by the Secretary of State. - HOW WILL WE MEASURE PROGRESS? - The strategy is intended to enable and inspire action, and progress will be monitored against national and local targets. Doing so will inform the next version of the strategy # Slide 32: Public Consultation Overview Nicola Jordan - Questions and/or Comments? ```