24053 - Plymouth Local Nature Recovery Strategy Phase 1

The Environment Act 2021 Environment Act 2021 (legislation.gov.uk) has set out the need for 'responsible authorities' to prepare Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS). We are still waiting for the detailed regulations from Government about how this will be implemented, however there are some key areas of work which we can start now.

The purpose of LNRS is to help reverse the ongoing decline of biodiversity in England, an issue which has important public interest and implications for the economy of society.

The preparation of this LNRS will help Plymouth to

• Agree priorities for nature recovery,

• Map the most valuable existing areas for nature

• Map specific proposals for creating or improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals.

The production of LNRS needs to be evidence based, locally led and collaborative to create a network of shared plans that public, private and voluntary sectors can all help deliver. We require consultant support to begin our early work on delivering the first steps involved in the creation of our LNRS, including reviewing existing evidence, stakeholder engagement and highlighting potential locations for creating new areas of habitat as well as where we can better manage existing areas we already have for wildlife. As this is a new area of work locally and nationally, a degree of flexibility within the agreed budget will be required and we are looking for a consultancy that is responsive to an emerging statutory and policy context.