“We would love to hear your thoughts about how this Strategy could benefit you and nature; so we would really appreciate any time you can spare on filling this questionnaire out – thank you in advance!” [Devon Local Nature Partnership]
Businesses and land owners are being urged to back new plans aimed at boosting wildlife in the West Country including beaver populations on the River Avon. The Nature Recovery Strategy, being published on Thursday (November 7), is the first of its kind in England. It is hoped the proposals could mean the return of glowworms on Severnside and growing fish populations around Capricorn Quay.
The strategy is being launched by the West of England Combined Authority and the West of England Nature Partnership (WENP) – a group of non-governmental organisations and local authorities working across Bristol; South Gloucestershire; North Somerset; and Bath and North East Somerset.
Dan Norris, the Mayor of the West of England, said: “This new joint strategy — the first of its kind in the country — will put our region on the map with an ambitious plan to support nature to recover and thrive in every corner of the West of England. With investment from businesses and landowners across our region, and everyone doing their bit, the future looks bright once again.”
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are a new approach to setting priorities for nature at a local level in England. They are a statutory requirement, defined in Sections 104 to 106 of the Environment Act 2021. More information can be found at Defra regulations and guidance summary document.
The new Strategy will look forward to the next 10 years, setting out key priorities and actions for the next 3 years. It will link to national and local guidance, such as the Devon Tree Strategy, Devon Nature Recovery Strategy and the East Devon Local Plan.
East Devon DC is required to have input into the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) process under the Environment Act 2021. Devon CC as the identified `Responsible Authority’ has requested that all District Authorities who are identified as `Supporting Authorities’ contribute to the consultation and preparation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. This will mean identifying what is important to us so that our local priorities and views are taken full account of in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) process. Defra has provided advice on the preferred approach to developing all Local Nature Recovery Strategy’s and the governance arrangements each Responsible Authority should put in place to enable the preparation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). The Nature Recovery Declaration for East Devon recognises the crisis we are facing ecologically alongside climate change and sets out how the Council will respond to this emergency at a high level. The actions East Devon DC will need to take will flow from this Declaration and also be guided by the new responsibilities paced upon local authorities by the Environment Act 2021 for developing a Nature Recovery Network that targets our most important and vulnerable habitats and species.
Yes, this ‘declaration’ says all the things that it needs to say – but as yet we still don’t have a ‘Nature Recovery Strategy’ for Devon as required by law. However, that does mean there is still time and opportunity for us to give input:
How can you get involved and who to contact?
Complete our questionnaire, We would love to hear your thoughts about how this Strategy could benefit you and nature; so we would really appreciate any time you can spare on filling this out – thank you in advance!
If you would like to be kept up to date with progress and receive invitations to conferences and other events please join our forum and sign up to our newsletter.
So, let’s see if we are not too far behind the West of England authority.
