West of England launched country’s first nature recovery strategy
The West of England is the first region in England to launch its Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) and Toolkit (LNRT). Launched by the West of England Combined Authority, the LNRS is a plan to help nature to recover, to restore biodiversity, and reconnect people with the natural world.
To support the delivery of the LNRS The West of England Nature Partnership (WENP) has bold plans to reverse persistent declines in biodiversity and empower its recovery so that nature can thrive again. Their nine priority programmes take these ambitions to the next level. This landmark event positions the West of England as a trailblazer in restoring and reconnecting nature at a landscape scale.
The strategy launch took place at a WENP conference on Thursday 7 November in Bristol, supported by the West of England Combined Authority. WENP is an active, ambitious and diverse coalition of NGOs, local authorities, local communities and commercial partners.
The LNRS will accelerate momentum built with the West of England Nature Partnership across the region over recent years.
This momentum has seen, and plans for, the return of important native species to our part of the world including beavers, not seen on the Bristol Avon for some 400 years; glow-worms on Severnside; and growing fish populations around Capricorn Quay.
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.”
The LNRS follows a consultation period earlier in the summer. It represents a successful collaboration between the Mayoral Combined Authority, supporting authorities, NGOs and many others, working alongside Natural England to co-develop the strategy.
The West of England Nature Partnership and Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership were key in supporting the development of the strategy, leveraging their expertise and highly collaborative approaches.
WENP’s nine programmes for nature recovery outline a range of strategic initiatives to secure ongoing investment from public, private, and philanthropic sources. These programmes are designed to restore key habitats, enhance biodiversity, and improve resilience to climate change across the West of England.
The projects are:
- Western Forest
- Grassland Connections
- Severn Shoreline, Levels and Moors
- Restoring our Rivers
- Urban Nature
- Returning Species
- Local Wildlife Sites and 30 by 30
- Tackling Transport Severance
- State of Nature Monitoring
These carefully designed and targeted programmes are a call to action for businesses and investors to play their part in nature recovery while reaping the social, economic, and environmental benefits that come with it.
WENP invites communities, landowners, businesses and investors to join in this transformative effort. With the strategy, toolkit and priority programmes in place, the region is ready to scale up nature recovery efforts.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new, England-wide system of spatial strategies that establish priorities and map proposals for specific actions to drive nature’s recovery and provide wider environmental benefits.
A single LNRS covers the unitary authority areas of Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset.
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