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Nottinghamshire people have their say on how local natural habitats can best be restored

Locals in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are being invited to help shape how nature is restored and protected across the city and county.

Business, landowners, developers and anyone with an interest, are being urged to contribute to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) consultation, before it ends on June 16.

British species have declined by 19 per cent, on average, since data started being collected in 1970, according to the 2023 State of Nature Report – produced by 60 nature conservation, research and Government organisations.

The LNRS will set out a framework that aims to reverse biodiversity decline, support environmental resilience, and guide future land use.

It includes a Biodiversity Priorities Statement, a Local Habitat Map showing key existing natural areas, and a Proposals Map highlighting opportunities for habitat creation and improvement.

On Monday (June 2) Erin McDaid of Nottinghamshire Wildlife, told Notts Today on Notts TV: “We’ve spent decades trying to protect and hang onto our nature, but it’s not working. So, together, we’ve got to up our game.”

Catherine Mayhew, who is co-ordinating LNRS at Notts County Council, added: “We have lots of unique habitats across Nottinghamshire. They’re all important. We want to see them all survive. And we want to create more of them.”

The LNRS is part of a national Government programme funded by Defra. It will also inform the mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements for new developments.