Help shape the county’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Worcestershire County Council has today launched a public consultation to inform the preparation of the new countywide strategy, which will help protect and improve Worcestershire’s local environment.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Worcestershire will be one of 48 across England and key in the delivery of a national Nature Recovery Network of sites.

Councillor Richard Morris, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment said: “This strategy will show our vision for protecting and enhancing Worcestershire’s wonderful environment.

“The potential for Worcestershire to contribute to this Nature Recovery Network is vast, with our nationally important wildflower meadows, traditional orchards, ancient woodlands and trees, and floodplain habitats such as wet grassland, fen, marsh and wet woodland. Equally important are the valuable pockets of nature-rich habitat within our towns and villages, where people can see, hear and experience nature on their doorstep.

“Whether you are a school, volunteer organisation, business or individual, show us how you contribute or are looking to contribute, whether it’s a new meadow, tree planting, wetland, support for hedgehogs or anything else that could have a positive impact on our environment.”

The LNRS is a new type of plan for nature and environmental improvement. They are a legal requirement of the Environment Act 2021 and Worcestershire County Council has been appointed as the Responsible Authority to lead the preparation of Worcestershire’s LNRS, supported by the six District Councils and Natural England.

Each LNRS will contain a locally agreed Statement of Biodiversity Priorities and a Local Habitat Map. Once adopted, the LNRS will be a way for anyone to view the agreed nature recovery priorities in a location and determine what practical action could be delivered to achieve those priorities.

This first stage of the consultation process is asking Worcestershire residents what the local threats and priorities should be for nature’s recovery and where the opportunities are within the county to deliver more, bigger and better improvements for nature.

The consultation will run from Monday 15 January to Friday 23 February. There will then be a second stage of the consultation, later this year, on a full draft of the strategy.

Take part in the conversation about nature recovery on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy webpage.