Guidance

Local nature recovery strategies

Updated 14 September 2026

Applies to England

What local nature recovery strategies are and why they are needed

England is widely considered to be one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world following long-term declines. The government has made legally-binding commitments to stop this deterioration and allow nature to recover.

Local nature recovery strategies (LNRSs) are locally-led strategies that bring people and organisations together to plan and take targeted action for nature recovery and environmental improvement.

Each strategy:

• identifies key environmental issues that it will focus on
• sets out actions that contribute to tackling those issues
• proposes locations where these actions will have the greatest impact

There are 48 strategy areas which together cover the whole of England. Each strategy is published online by the local authority that led its preparation.

Actions proposed within an LNRS are not legally binding. However, progress in delivering the proposed actions is monitored, and landowners and land managers are encouraged, supported and incentivised to deliver them.

View a map of LNRS areas and details of where to find the published strategies.

How local nature recovery strategies are prepared

Each LNRS is prepared and overseen by an appointed local authority – also referred to as the ‘responsible authority’. They must:

• follow a preparation process set out in law and LNRS statutory guidance
• consider how the strategy and actions can contribute to national targets and outcomes
• work with local partner organisations and communities to agree priorities and actions for improving nature in the area

The result is that all LNRSs meet common minimum standards which help them work together effectively to recover nature across the country.

The Secretary of State must announce a review of all strategies every 3 to 10 years, so progress can be assessed and the strategies can be updated and republished.

What a local nature recovery strategy includes

Each strategy is unique. They reflect local circumstances and the priorities chosen by the responsible authority, as well as the people and organisations in that area.

By law, all LNRSs must contain both:

• a statement of biodiversity priorities
• a local habitat map

The statement of biodiversity priorities:

• describes the strategy area and the environmental issues it is facing
• sets out priorities and identifies actions to achieve them

The local habitat map:

• identifies existing areas of particular importance for biodiversity
• suggests additional areas where nature recovery actions could help achieve the strategy’s priorities

Additional areas are chosen because they are particularly suitable for carrying out specific actions or join up and expand areas of existing importance for nature.

Most actions proposed by an LNRS involve creating or improving different types of habitats. For example, actions could help a species that depends on a certain habitat, or they could target wider environmental benefits (sometimes referred to as ‘nature-based solutions’).

Actions might include:

• creating wetlands to help aquatic species or improve water quality
• restoring peatlands to capture carbon or reduce flood or drought risk
• planting native trees to connect existing areas of ancient woodland

Creating or improving the right habitat in the right place can make a big difference to what benefits it has. To make effective decisions about locations and activities, LNRSs draw on the best data and evidence available, as well as the views and knowledge of local people and organisations. This is a critical principle underpinning all the strategies.

To find out about the LNRS in your area, check the map of nature recovery strategy areas and responsible authorities.

How the government supports local nature recovery strategies

To encourage and support people to use their LNRS and to carry out the actions proposed, the government has introduced:

• incentives for developers and habitat providers to deliver the priorities and measures set out in an LNRS through biodiversity net gain (BNG) actions
• a new duty will require development plans to ‘take account’ of relevant LNRSs (to safeguard key areas for nature recovery and encourage development that supports action for nature)
• a new requirement for all public authorities to ‘have regard’ to relevant LNRSs when meeting their duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity
• additional funding for responsible authorities to oversee LNRS delivery
• links between LNRSs and other environmental plans and strategies

Incentives for people with biodiversity net gain responsibilities

Biodiversity net gain means development must leave habitats in a measurably better state than they were in before, through improving the amount or condition of habitat by at least 10%.

Where developers create or restore habitat that delivers measures proposed in an LNRS, this is worth 15% more biodiversity units per hectare.

This provides a financial incentive for developers to prioritise funding of LNRS actions and encourages developers and habitat providers to target action for BNG where it will have most benefit for nature.

Changes to the planning system

Government changes to the planning system mean that LNRSs will play an increasingly important role in planning.

Planners will increasingly use LNRSs as a key source of evidence to integrate nature restoration and development opportunities and target the most beneficial actions for the environment. For example:

• neighbourhood plans, local plans, minerals and waste plans and supplementary plans will be legally required to ‘take account’ of relevant LNRSs
• a new and more structured plan-making process will require plan-makers to show how they have taken account of LNRSs before their plans can be finalised
• revised national planning policy sets out how LNRSs should be used to inform proposals in development plans
• a new England-wide system of spatial development strategies will have to ‘take account’ of relevant LNRSs

During the transition period as changes are made to the planning system, some plans close to completion will continue to follow the old planning rules.

Public authority biodiversity duty

All public authorities have a duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity. In complying with this duty, they must ‘have regard’ to relevant LNRSs.

Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission – who play key roles in the preparation of LNRSs by providing advice and support to responsible authorities – comply with this duty by using LNRSs to inform their decision-making where appropriate.

This includes considering LNRSs when making decisions on funding for schemes like Countryside Stewardship agreements, tree planting and natural flood management.

Links between LNRSs and other environmental plans and strategies

Actions proposed by LNRSs will be used to help prepare other plans and strategies, such as:

• protected site strategies, which propose action for protected wildlife sites whose poor condition has proved difficult to address
• environmental delivery plans, which set out action for particular species or protected sites that developers fund to help offset the environmental impacts of nearby development
• river basin management plans, which propose action to improve the water environment
• 30by30, a UK government commitment to manage and protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030

Aligning actions across strategies helps make sure effort is focused in the right places.

Funding for responsible authorities

Defra also provides funding for responsible authorities to oversee the delivery of the LNRS for their area. This helps them to work with partners to:

• promote opportunities for using their LNRS to inform local decisions that affect nature
• support the development of projects that deliver priority actions in the LNRS
• monitor and report on strategy delivery to Defra group

Who can be involved in local nature recovery strategies

LNRSs have been designed to encourage people to work together for nature recovery. They are developed collaboratively with local partners and shaped through local public consultation.

They allow anyone that is interested to:

• help shape the vision for nature recovery in their area
• understand how different actions can work together to restore and reconnect nature across large areas
• understand which actions have been proposed on land they own or manage and why

Local partnerships (public bodies, local authorities and environmental organisations)

The partnerships formed to create LNRSs will help to deliver them, with responsible authorities continuing to work closely with key organisations.

Some, such as local authorities, have clear roles in overseeing BNG and planning. Others, such as wildlife or farming organisations, provide important knowledge and influence.

Landowners and land managers

Landowners and land managers are especially important to the delivery of the actions proposed in LNRSs.

If you are a landowner or land manager, you should check your local LNRS to see if it suggests actions on your land. It will explain what those actions are meant to achieve.

Even if it does not list actions for your land, you may still find the priorities and action lists for your area useful. You may be able to get funding if you want to make changes to how you use and manage your land. These changes could be large or small.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)

The SFI scheme funds actions that help nature and the environment. Use your LNRS to help choose the best actions for your land. It might be that your land is well suited to an action, or that the LNRS will help you and neighbouring landowners take actions that are best placed to work well together.

Some responsible authorities have tools that show which SFI actions best match the actions in their LNRS. If a tool is available, it will be on the local LNRS website.

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)

The CSHT scheme pays for tailored actions that protect, restore and enhance the environment, while helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Agreements usually last for 5 to 10 years but some are longer.

You can apply for a CSHT agreement via an Expression of Interest process if you want to manage woodland or agroforestry. To manage other types of habitat, you will usually need to be invited to apply by Natural England.

Advisors use the LNRS to advise on the most suitable land management in your area.

Landscape Recovery (LR)

This scheme supports long-term, large-scale nature recovery. It usually involves groups of landowners working together.

Each application round has specific themes (like species recovery, or river restoration) and proposals for projects are evaluated through a competitive process.

If successful, projects are given grant funding to develop their proposals, before being assessed as to whether they should move into long-term implementation.

Applications are assessed partly on how well they align with the LNRS for that area.

Other public funding sources

Your LNRS can help you identify areas of land that may be suitable for bigger changes in land management. You may be able to get funding for work such as tree planting, natural flood management and water body improvement.

If you apply for one of these schemes, the application process will consider how well your proposal aligns with the LNRS for your area.

Private funding sources

If an LNRS suggests actions for your land, this may make it more attractive for private funding. For example, creating or improving habitat for BNG can generate a 15% uplift in biodiversity units if the work aligns with the LNRS for that location.

Private businesses and investors

LNRSs make it easier for private business and investors to identify opportunities to invest in nature recovery.

Businesses can be confident in the robust process of designing LNRSs and that the actions proposed reflect both local and national priorities. LNRSs offer a clear evidence base to enable projects to be developed at scale.

Individuals and communities

For community groups or individuals wanting to support nature’s recovery, many LNRSs have included suggestions for personal or small-scale actions, such as advice on what to plant in gardens to help wildlife. Everyone can play their part and align with wider efforts to have greater impact overall.

The future of local nature recovery strategies

With government support, the influence of LNRSs will increase. Regular monitoring and strategy progress reviews will ensure that we are making the most of the evidence about nature recovery that LNRSs provide, and that strategies can keep improving over time.

Additional support and incentives for local nature recovery strategies

Preparing LNRSs across the whole of England has been a major undertaking. The government plans to provide more support and incentives to help deliver the actions LNRSs set out and will look for new opportunities to do so in the future.

Increasing the influence of local nature recovery strategies

The government’s plans for greater devolution in England will increase the influence of LNRSs.

New ‘strategic authorities’ are being created and strengthened across England. They will have more resources, responsibilities and flexibility to tackle issues like health and transport within their area more efficiently and effectively. LNRSs will be central to their work on the environment, helping link nature recovery with wider projects that benefit local communities.

Monitoring progress of local nature recovery strategies

Tracking delivery progress across all LNRSs will be key to understanding where and why they have been more or less effective.

Data used to assess progress against the government’s legally binding targets will be combined with information collected by responsible authorities about LNRS delivery.

Analysis of this data will help inform how future versions of LNRSs should evolve. The government intends to use it to understand how different environmental policies might need to change to secure the right balance of outcomes overall (as set out in the Land Use Framework)

Work is already underway to learn lessons from the initial LNRS preparation phase to improve future processes.

Review, update and republication of local nature recovery strategies

The government’s vision, underpinned by legislation, is for a regular cycle of delivery, review, update and republication of strategies.

This enables LNRSs to develop, stay relevant and become more effective over time so that they can continue to drive locally-led nature recovery and environmental improvement.

By law, the Secretary of State must announce by April 2033 the timeline for review and republication of all LNRSs.

The government will give forewarning of this (as committed in the 2025 Environmental Improvement Plan) to help everyone involved in LNRSs to plan ahead.

Meanwhile, the government will continue to work with public, private and voluntary sector partners, to make best use of LNRSs and to seek further ways to support their delivery and to drive forward nature’s recovery.

Further information

For further information on LNRSs and how you can be involved you can:

• find the LNRS for your area

• read the statutory guidance on what to include in an LNRS

• read the Environment (Local Nature Recovery Strategies) (Procedure) Regulations 2023

• find the Local Nature Recovery Strategy data viewer