Local Nature Recovery Strategies in the East
An update from across the region by CLA East Adviser Peter Ewin
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are now being rolled out across the East, and this presents an ideal moment to bring members up to speed on how their county’s strategy is shaping up. County councils, as the designated ‘responsible authorities,’ are charged with drafting each LNRS document.
For those who haven’t yet been involved with LNRS’s, they stem from the Environment Act 2021. Forty-eight responsible authorities must each create a spatial strategy for their county that maps out where and how to restore nature. The strategies will outline a suite of proposals to deliver that restoration, with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) identified as one of the primary implementation tools.
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is running a public consultation on its draft strategy from 1 July to 7 September 2025. To help it develop its strategy further the authority is asking landowners to share their views through a consultation which can be found at: Bedfordshire LNRS
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s draft strategy is open to public consultation from 18 July 2025 and runs for 8 weeks, ending 11 September 2025.
Drop in sessions have been arranged:
- 14 August, 2pm - 4pm - Ely Library
- 19 August, 2pm - 4pm - Huntingdon Library
- 28 August, 2pm - 4pm - March Library
- 3 September, 2pm - 4pm - St Neots Library
Essex
The Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy was published on 10 July 2025 and has now moved to the delivery phase. Section 6.5 of the strategy identifies steps for landowners and managers to improve biodiversity through bigger, better and more connected habitat priorities. Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Norfolk and Suffolk
Although two independent strategies will be produced, Norfolk and Suffolk are running their projects concurrently and working very closely with each other. As of 12 June, the public consultation for both Norfolk and Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy has closed.
The public consultation ran for 8 weeks and respondents were asked to feedback on the Statement of Biodiversity Priorities and Habitat Map, as well as the existing nature in Norfolk and Suffolk, opportunities they've identified for nature's recovery, case studies demonstrating the success of nature recovery work and their methodologies for creating the LNRS.
The draft strategy document that was consulted on, as well as the local habitat maps, can still be viewed but no further comments can be left.
Over 280 people took part in the Norfolk consultation and 175 people took part in the Suffolk consultation and further comments were received directly on the Local Habitat Map. They are reviewing all the feedback and will incorporate it into the final draft of the LNRS as appropriate.
The document will then be reviewed and approved by the County Council Cabinets. The LNRS will also be sent to our supporting authorities for another consultation period. This lasts 28 days.
The expected publication of both Norfolk and Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy is in Autumn 2025.
Lincolnshire
Between June and September Lincolnshire is producing its draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy, writing the priorities and measures into the strategy and finalising the Local Habitat Map. It is expected that the draft LNRS will be approved between September and December with the public consultation opening November to December.
Hertfordshire
The public consultation for the Hertfordshire LNRS draft launched on 14 July and closes 8 September. There are webinars to discuss the draft strategy, provide a tutorial on how to use the map and answer your questions. The dates are:
Nottinghamshire
Public consultation on the draft strategy took place in May and June 2025. All comments will be recorded and analysed and we will make changes to the draft LNRS as necessary. The final version of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Nottinghamshire and Nottingham will be published in Autumn 2025.
West Northants
In West Northants the draft strategy is being developed and the consultation is due to start in the next month or so, with cabinet approval and publication expected early next year.
North Northants
North Northants published its finalised strategy on 5 March. It is now in the delivery process, taking action with local partners work together with landowners and land managers to create and enhance habitat for nature and the environment and take other biodiversity-positive actions.