What we have been doing

Somerset Council in collaboration with the Somerset Local Nature Partnership, have been working closely with numerous stakeholders and engaging with communities, farmers and landholders to help shape the development of Somerset’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

This has included:

• A survey of communities and residents in Somerset, which ended in May.
• A questionnaire asking farmers and landholders for their thoughts on priorities for nature and how the Somerset LNRS could be made most useful for them.
• In-person events where we have talked to farmers and landholders, parish councils, and community groups.
• Several one-to-one conversations with organisations and partnerships across the region.

We have gathered the results from these conversations, events and surveys and combined them with existing plans, like river catchment strategies, to set our priorities and actions.

Mapping areas of opportunity

Identifying locations to recover or enhance nature is the local nature recovery strategy’s main purpose, so this final stage of developing the strategy is important. The project team and partners will map the areas that they believe could become of particular importance for biodiversity, or where the recovery or enhancement of biodiversity delivers a nature-based solution to an environmental issue. These areas will collectively be referred to as ‘areas that could become of particular importance’. It is these areas where Somerset Council proposes that effort should be concentrated to restore habitat, to achieve the most for biodiversity and the wider environment.

The project team will work with partners and stakeholders to find suitable locations. They will choose the ones that best address our priorities and improve connectivity across Somerset.

All the work that has been developed in the stages before will be used to inform this mapping stage.

Consultation and publication

Before the draft Somerset Local Nature Recovery Strategy goes to public consultation, it must be shared with the Supporting Authorities (Natural England and Exmoor National Park Authority) and the Responsible Authorities leading LNRS  in our neighbouring counties of Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon.

Following a four week period, and after addressing any issues, the draft Strategy will go out to public consultation for six weeks. This is likely to take place in early 2025. A consultation response will be published.

To be informed when the public consultation commences and receive updates on the progress of Somerset Local Nature Recovery Strategy please sign up to Somerset Environmental and Ecological News.

Timeline of actions

• Draft our existing nature network map – Completed

• Priority Engagement Phase 1: Develop draft habitat priorities – Completed
  • Public and strategic surveys
  • Farming sector engagement
  • Events and workshops
  • Iterative testing of priorities and measures

• Priority Engagement Phase 1: Develop draft species priorities – Completed
  • Engagement with taxonomic experts
  • Meetings and workshop

• Priority Engagement Phase 2: Priority refinement analysis of Phase 1 results – Completed
  • Workshop with habitat and species groups
  • Evidence-based desktop review of emerging priorities
  • Shortlist measures

• Creating Local Nature Recovery Strategy opportunity mapping – Expected in the middle of November 2024
  • Methodology developed
  • Engagement with mapping expert advisory group

• Writing and design of the first draft LNRS – Expected in early November 2024

• Final drafting ahead of public consultation – Expected in December 2024 or January 2025

• Pre-consultation requirements – Expected in January or February 2025
  • Draft a strategy to support authorities and neighboring Responsible Authorities for four weeks

• Finalisation of consultation document – March 2025
  • Resolution of any pre consultation matters

• Public consultation – Expected in February 2025
  • Six-week public consultation period

• Finalisation of Strategy and consultation response – Expected in April 2025
  • Finalisation of the Strategy following the public consultation response

• Pre-publication requirements – Expected in April 2025
  • Final strategy to Supporting Authorities and neighbouring Responsible Authorities for four weeks

• Final version published – Expected in May 2025