A New National Approach to Nature Recovery

The much-anticipated Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Kent and Medway began development in September, with Kent County Council appointed as the Responsible Authority delivering the project.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is a key component of the landmark Environment Act 2021, which sets out targets to improve air quality, water, biodiversity and waste reduction across the UK. Specifically for biodiversity, the Act aims to halt species’ decline and increase their abundance. The LNRS takes a county-level approach, ensuring the development of local strategies that will ultimately form a nationwide network of mapped actions to enhance habitat restoration.

The new guidance released in March 2023 provides details on how the LNRS should be collaboratively developed, seeking the views of as many stakeholders as possible for a truly big, bold and diverse vision. Active participation will be sought from supporting authorities, conservation organisations, landowners and communities of all backgrounds, with the support of Natural England.

Kent County Council is delighted to be developing this landmark strategy for nature recovery in Kent and Medway and we’re enthused by how much interest there already is from the stakeholders, who will be instrumental in its development and, ultimately, delivery.
Liz Milne, Natural Environment and Coast Manager at Kent County Council

Kent Wildlife Trust is committed to supporting the development of Kent and Medway’s LNRS and will be a key member of the project partnership. The LNRS aligns with our vision to protect and restore nature while collaborating with multiple community groups; crucial components in achieving Goals 1 and 2 of our 2030 Strategy.

The development of the Strategy will be undertaken by the Making Space for Nature in Kent and Medway project team. Find out more and share your thoughts here.

Making Space for Nature

Making Space for Nature in Kent and Medway

Nature 2030

If we want to have 30% of land and seas protected for nature by 2030, the LNRS will be a key strategy to deliver that. 

As the Nature 2030 report by Wildlife and Countryside Link identifies, we need:
 

  • more incentives for landowners to effectively manage nature
  • updated purposes, powers and funding for designated landscapes to do more for nature, so that they become beacons of biodiversity restoration
  • new duties and purposes for public bodies to ensure they care for the land they own and manage for nature’s recovery and climate change mitigation
  • and an expansion of public and community land ownership, where such purchases, followed by sustained management for nature, could deliver significant ecological improvements.

This is particularly important goal in Kent where much of land is being developed. People and nature can co-exist and we believe that by working with Kent County Council and other NGOs through the LNRS, we can find a way to expand and enhance or natural spaces whilst also creating more space for people to live. 

It's vital that our councillors and MPs see the importance of this too and push for national legislation that will help achieve these goals and others that we outlined in our Nature 2030 blog.

You can help us achieve this by signing our petition and helping us reach our 80,000 target. Let's make sure the government know that we won't vote for them, if they won't vote for nature.

Sign the petition

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