About Local Nature Recovery Strategies
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are ‘a new, England-wide system of spatial strategies that will establish priorities and map proposals for specific actions to drive nature’s recovery and provide wider environmental benefits’. This is set out by the Government in the Environment Act 2021.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) not only help with planning and funding for nature recovery, but also guide actions to solve environmental problems. These actions include managing floods, capturing carbon, and improving water quality.
Funding
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are providing funding to support the development of Local Nature Recovery Strategies.
Producing a strategy for nature and wider environmental benefits
This is the first time there has been a coordinated requirement across the country to produce a strategy for nature and wider environmental benefits. This includes a requirement for extensive stakeholder engagement and public consultation prior to its agreement. The Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) will offer a shared approach to improving and restoring nature, while considering natures other benefits and what local people value.
The Local Nature Recovery Strategies will build on the many initiatives that have come before and the knowledge and expertise of many of those involved in them, but it does have some differences. Every part of the country will have an Local Nature Recovery Strategies, so it will introduce some consistency of approach regarding nature recovery. While biodiversity-led, the Local Nature Recovery Strategies will also consider other environmental benefits such as regulating flood risk and climate change. It also considers wider benefits such as health and wellbeing. The Local Nature Recovery Strategies will also be a highly collaborative product, with input from a wide range of people and organisations.
The Local Nature Recovery Strategies will also link into other policy areas such as Environment Land Management Schemes (ELMS) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The Local Nature Recovery Strategies will highlight the best places for nature improvement, helping to decide where funding should be directed for the most impact.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies link to planning
Under The Environment Act, local planning authorities now have a strengthened biodiversity duty. This means that as part of their statutory role, planners must now consider how they can both conserve and enhance biodiversity.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies will help by identifying areas in their district of particular importance for biodiversity. They will also highlight areas that could become important in the future due to their potential to support habitats, species or nature-based solutions. This information will guide local planning authorities in making decisions that affect nature.
In addition to the enhanced Biodiversity Duty, The Environment Act specifically states that public bodies, such as local planning authorities, have to ‘have regard to’ Local Nature Recovery Strategies in their decision-making.
Somerset’s Local Nature Recovery Strategies will directly influence local plans. They will provide evidence of which areas in the district are important for biodiversity and where to invest in nature or nature-based solutions. These solutions can address problems such as flood risk, water quality, and access to nature. The LNRS will help local plans follow the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which requires the protection and enhancement of biodiversity.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies and the planning system have been designed to fit together. While exact guidance is still being developed, we know that the Local Nature Recovery Strategies will show where offsite Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) – which is being delivered by the planning system – would best be delivered. And where there will be incentives within the Biodiversity Net Gain system to do so. Local Nature Recovery Strategies were created to be the targeting system for offsite habitat creation and improvement to meet new Biodiversity Net Gain requirements. Local Nature Recovery Strategies will not say where offsite gain must happen. Instead, delivery in locations proposed by the Local Nature Recovery Strategies will be incentivised by the biodiversity metric.
We also think the Local Nature Recovery Strategies will be an excellent evidence base for the local plan. They will show where new habitats should be created. They will also identify areas that are not currently protected but are important for nature and people, so these areas should be kept safe from development. And where ecosystem services are needed near to developments.
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act is making changes to the planning system which will lead to government updating the National Planning Policy Framework. It is likely that these updates will include more specific information on how LNRs should be given weight in the plan-making process.
Species and the Local Nature Recovery Strategies
The statutory guidance states that the Local Nature Recovery Strategies must ‘identify the existing or potential species (or groups of species) in the area that the strategy could make a particular contribution to enhancing or recovering.’ A Species Task and Finish Group has been supporting the Somerset Local Nature Recovery Strategies, following the Defra guidance, and has created a priority list of species for the strategies.
Land identified in the Local Nature Recovery Strategies
Local Nature Recovery Strategies will identify areas that are currently designated for nature conservation (such as nature reserves) and irreplaceable habitats (‘areas of particular importance for biodiversity’). They will also identify areas to focus funding and efforts going forwards to achieve our agreed priorities for nature (‘areas that could become of particular importance’). These areas will all be depicted on the Local Nature Recovery Strategies map, known as the ‘local habitat map’.
‘Areas of particular importance for biodiversity’ will map where the best opportunities to expand, recover or join up nature, and where this provides wider environmental benefits. Areas that could become of particular importance will be identified through the Local Nature Recovery Strategies process using a range of inputs, including feedback from stakeholder engagement.
These areas will indicate where action should be focused to make the greatest impact and will help inform decisions on land management. It is important to understand that the Local Nature Recovery Strategy does not give any level of protection, prevent alternative uses of the land or give permission to create habitat or alter land use without consulting relevant specialists, statutory consultees, or obtaining appropriate permissions.
Your questions and answers
Please visit Local Nature Recovery Strategy – Questions from farmers, landowners and land managers page for more information.