County Council confirmed in leadership role for nature

Efforts to address society’s neglect of nature are being stepped up with the Government appointing Derbyshire County Council to a new role to take the lead in protecting and prioritising nature in Derby and Derbyshire.

The county council is one of 48 councils across the country appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as the ‘responsible authority’ for nature recovery – a statutory role brought about by the Environment Act 2021.

It means the county council will be responsible for putting together a plan, called the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which will map the location and condition of Derbyshire’s habitats and identify where biodiversity is in decline or limited in ecosystem value.

It will also set out the long-term vision and action plan for local organisations, businesses, landowners and the public to work together to improve the natural environment across Derbyshire – including Derby and the area of the Peak District National Park within the county.

The county council will work closely with relevant public, private and voluntary sector organisations to draw on their collective expertise to produce the plan, with the aim of co-ordinating existing efforts and driving forwards new initiatives to improve the natural environment in Derbyshire.

Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said: “The local recovery network has been established by Government to address three of the biggest challenges we face: biodiversity loss, climate change and wellbeing.

“When nature thrives, we all benefit and we’re pleased to be taking a role in environmental leadership in Derbyshire, working in partnership with local residents, groups, businesses, landowners and existing partner organisations to focus and co-ordinate all our efforts to help nature flourish.”

The Government’s vision is to establish a national nature recovery network consisting of Local Nature Recovery Strategies, which will:

• enhance sites designated for nature conservation and other wildlife-rich places – newly created and restored wildlife-rich habitats, corridors and stepping-stones will help wildlife populations to grow and move
• improve the landscape’s resilience to climate change, providing natural solutions to reduce carbon and manage flood risk, and sustaining vital ecosystems such as improved soil, clean water and clean air
• reinforce the natural, geological and cultural diversity of our landscapes, and protect our historic natural environment
• enable us to enjoy and connect with nature where we live, work and play – benefiting our health and wellbeing

By 2042, the national Nature Recovery Network aims to:

• restore 75% of protected sites on land (including freshwaters) to favourable condition so nature can thrive
• create or restore 500,000 hectares of additional wildlife-rich habitat in England outside of protected sites
• recover threatened and iconic animal and plant species by providing more, diverse and better-connected habitats
• support work to increase woodland cover
• achieve a range of environmental, economic and social benefits, such as carbon capture, flood management, clean water, pollination and recreation

For more information about Local Nature Recovery Strategies visit www.gov.uk