What is the Local Nature Recovery Strategy?
A Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is a spatial strategy required by the Environment Act 2021. It will set out local priorities to restore and enhance habitats and recover populations of species.
The Herefordshire LNRS is one of 48 LNRSs, which together will completely cover England and support national policies for nature recovery. This strategy is aimed at reversing the ongoing decline of nature and biodiversity in England, through practical and coordinated action of the implementation of the Nature Recovery Network on a local level.
In its capacity as local authority, Herefordshire Council is the designated 'Responsible Authority' for the Herefordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Purpose of the LNRS
The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) brings together existing data on Herefordshire's environment, and works with local partners to create a clear plan for nature recovery. It sets out goals, practical actions, and sustainable solutions to restore biodiversity and ecological balance.
LNRS helps design tailored local plans by uniting agencies, landowners, and communities to provide recommendations on priorities and measures and the preferred locations that will provide the best results for nature recovery. It will encourage partners to take coordinated action and monitor results. It also encourages local groups to support and maintain long-term ecological improvements.
What the LNRS includes
The LNRS is made up of two elements, a written statement of biodiversity priorities and a local habitat map, which together provide:
- A description of the current state of nature throughout Herefordshire
- A list of priorities and actions for nature's recovery
- A map of the most valuable existing areas for nature
- A map of specific proposals for creating and improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals
There are also supporting documents that detail the process of creating the strategy.
Who has been involved
The LNRS has been undertaken by Herefordshire Council working with a Steering Group of stakeholders including:
- Natural England
- Environment Agency
- Forestry Commission
- Herefordshire Wildlife Trust
- Representatives from the National Landscapes
- Landowner representation through the CLA and NFU
- Wye and Usk Foundation
- Herefordshire Biological Records Centre
It has also drawn in local stakeholders, conservation bodies, species and habitat recording groups, and landowners as key partners in setting the strategy and delivering the actions.
Implementing nature recovery
The LNRS has now been formally adopted by Herefordshire Council and registered with DEFRA.
Herefordshire Council is implementing the LNRS by leading and convening delivery partnerships, embedding the LNRS into local decision making, identifying strategic projects and facilitating delivery, and finally, monitoring and reporting.
The strategy will be reviewed every 3 to 10 years, in accordance with the LNRS regulations and Secretary of State instruction.
How you can get involved
Everyone can help with nature recovery. Although there is no funding directly linked to LNRS we can help you find funding for nature recovery. Visit the council's grants directory or the Herefordshire Green Network's grant funding opportunities page or get in touch for advice.
If you own or manage land you can use the LNRS to identify the best actions you can take on your land to help species and habitats recover and to help get funding for this work. However, the LNRS measures listed and mapped are not compulsory for landowners. See the user guide for more information.
Parish and town councils can use the LNRS to feed into their Biodiversity Action Plans and local groups can use it to prioritise and target habitat and species conservation work and to help with funding applications. See the user guide for more information.
Developers and consultants should use the LNRS for their Biodiversity Net Gain submissions. See the user guide for more information.
You can even use LNRS to get ideas for what you can do in your own home, garden or local community.
Herefordshire Council is also delivering nature recovery on land we own and manage such as road verges, parks and public open spaces.
We are here to help, and we'd love to know what you are doing for nature recovery.
Contact us
If you require support, assistance or have any questions please email naturerecovery@herefordshire.gov.uk or call 01432 260708.
You may also find the answer to your question on the nature recovery FAQs page.