Local Nature Recovery Strategy updates for the North

CLA advice team blogs on the latest developments regarding the county-by-county scheme. This page will be updated monthly.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are currently in development across England.

As the autumn approaches, it feels like a good time to provide members with a further update on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy work that has been going on across the North.

If you’re not fully up to speed on the LNRS then here is a link to a webinar we held for members in July 2023. In brief, Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are currently in development across England on a county-by-county basis and are intended to identify opportunities for nature restoration which will be made available to planners and promoters on both paper and plans.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) will also contribute towards halting the decline in nature through the creation of new nature friendly habitats and to this end, land mapped within an LNRS will benefit from a more lucrative multiplier meaning landowners can deliver more BNG units on a lesser area.

The CLA has been engaging with local authorities on the LNRS in each county since last year. As well as occasionally attending stakeholder meetings and workshops to make sure that landowner viewpoints are represented, we have also shared details via our enews and social media on stakeholder engagement sessions/workshops being held in each county.

These events mainly took place in the first half of the year and it would be fair to say that some counties were more successful at getting farmers/landowners in the room than others.

The reason for publishing this blog now, is to alert members to the fact that many county LNRS teams are getting ready to consult on their proposed nature recovery strategy, having now drafted and refined this following feedback from the engagement sessions/workshops which took place earlier this year.

This may therefore be your last chance to input on the LNRS in your county before it gets adopted, and so we would encourage all members with land to at least take a look at (and ideally respond to) any LNRS consultations that apply. Bearing in mind if you farm across a county border there may be more than one strategy you need to keep an eye on.

You may find your holding is currently being considered as an area of importance for nature recovery, and if you disagree with this, or would rather your holding were excluded from the plans, you need to let the LNRS team in your area know sooner rather than later.

Cumbria - The Cumbria LNRS will show where actions to recover nature would be most effective. The public consultation on the Cumbria LNRS is now live, and closes on 22 June. Access the consultation. Generic webinar and further information available on their LNRS page.

Durham – The County Durham LNRS public consultation concluded on 22 June 2025. The council will consider feedback given, and launch a draft LNRS consultation in autumn 2025, prior to final publication of the Strategy.

Greater Manchester - The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GM) consulted on their draft LNRS strategy at the start of 2025. The final publication can be accessed here.

Liverpool City Region – Liverpool City Region LNRS' consultation has now concluded, with a view to further develop the Strategy.

North Yorkshire - Consultation on a draft North Yorkshire LNRS concluded in August 2025. Visit the council's LNRS page.

Lancashire - The Lancashire LNRS has been consulted upon, with responses considered with a view to a final publication. For the interim, the council is intending to publish a post-consultation set of responses.

North of Tyne - North of Tyne LNRS (covering Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside) public consultation is expected to open in November 2025.

Hull and East Yorkshire - The Hull and East Riding LNRS. The LNRS has recently (November 2025) passed through the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Cabinet, with the Full Council making an adoptive decision in January next year. If approved, it will be submitted to the Secretary of State in late January, with the final publication February. A HEY Local Nature Partnership-led conference is planned for 6 March to launch the strategy.

Tees Valley - The Tees Valley LNRS are currently developing a plan for preparing the Tees Valley LNRS strategy, including governance arrangements and how they will engage with stakeholders throughout the process. contact details - lnrs@teesvalley-ca.goc.uk. According to the Tees Valley Nature Partnership, the Tees Valley aims to release their draft LNRS strategy in September 2024, have launched their public consultation by December 2024 and published the document by March 2025.

West Yorkshire - Consultation on the West Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy is expected to open in week commencing 20 October 2025. More information on their website.

South of Tyne and Wear - South of Tyne & Wear LNRS completed a map of Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity. Sub-groups established to develop draft Habitat and Species priorities and potential measures. Targeted consultation to be undertaken on these including with membership organisations representing local landowners/managers. Mapping of nature recovery areas recently commenced (i.e. those areas where delivery of the identified potential measures, if undertaken, would deliver the greatest benefit for biodiversity). More intensive consultation with local landowners/managers to be undertaken on mapping of potential measures prior to statutory public consultation on draft LNRS later in the year.

South Yorkshire - The South Yorkshire LNRS have now concluded their stakeholder engagement to build their understanding of the regions' priorities for nature recovery and the South Yorkshire LNRS team is hoping to publish a draft strategy this year. It is expected that the Strategy will be open to public consultation in early 2026.

Your regional CLA North advisers will continue to represent landowners in the final phases of the LNRS process, identifying possible opportunities and concerns as the details are finalised.

If, following this update you have any questions or concerns, please do contact the regional advice team as we would be happy to discuss the LNRS in your area with you further via 01748 907070.

• CLA North Rural Adviser Jane Harrison (Cumbria; Durham; Greater Manchester; North Yorkshire; Tees Valley)
• CLA North Rural Surveyor Emily Richardson (Hull and East Yorkshire; West Yorkshire; South Yorkshire)
• CLA North Rural Surveyor Robert Frewen (North of Tyne; South of Tyne; Lancashire; Liverpool City Region)