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Agenda item

Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Purpose:

To endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Recommendation:

That Cabinet resolves to:

1.    Endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Decision:

The purpose of the report was to endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning introduced the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), a statutory strategy introduced under the Environment Act 2021 and approved by Gloucestershire County Council in January 2026. The report explained that the LNRS had been developed collaboratively with local authorities and partners, including the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership, and provided a spatial framework identifying opportunities for habitat creation, restoration and expansion at a landscape scale to support nature recovery. The report further outlined the statutory requirement for local planning authorities to have regard to the LNRS in fulfilling their biodiversity duties.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Juliet Layton and seconded by Councillor Mike McKeown.

Cabinet RESOLVED to:

1.    Endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

 

Voting record:

6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

The report was introduced by Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning.

Councillor Layton noted that the Environment Act 2021 had introduced a statutory requirement for a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) covering every area of England. The LNRS for Gloucestershire had been approved by Gloucestershire County Council, which had been appointed by Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs  (DEFRA) as the responsible authority. The strategy had been developed collaboratively with district, borough and city councils and key partners including the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership.

Councillor Layton explained that the LNRS functioned as a spatial planning tool identifying landscape-scale opportunities for nature recovery, including areas where habitat creation, restoration or expansion would have the greatest impact. It was emphasised that the strategy was not prescriptive but provided guidance to public bodies, landowners, farmers and voluntary or private organisations to help target action where biodiversity benefits would be greatest. The strategy also identified areas of particular importance for biodiversity, where nature recovery measures should be prioritised, and where landowners undertaking habitat creation or restoration might be eligible for grant funding or enhanced payments through national schemes.

Councillor Layton explained that local planning authorities were required under the strengthened biodiversity duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity and to have regard to the relevant LNRS in carrying out their functions. The strategy would therefore become an important reference point for planning decisions, policy development and wider corporate activity.

It was further noted that Cotswold District Council had already begun implementing the approach, and had, working with the National Trust established a habitat bank at the Sherborne Estate aligned with the emerging LNRS measures. This work was intended to support high-quality biodiversity net gain delivery and demonstrated the Council’s commitment to partnership-led nature recovery.

Cabinet noted that the LNRS had been approved by the County Council’s Cabinet in January 2026 and that endorsing the strategy would ensure that the Council was aligned with the county-wide approach and able to integrate the strategy into its planning, land management and biodiversity work. Members were recommended to read the full document which was publicly available online.

The Leader thanked Councillor Juliet Layton for presenting the report and noted that the Local Nature Recovery Strategy was a comprehensive document, including detail on specific species and wider habitat measures. It was noted that the strategy would assist the Council and partner authorities across Gloucestershire in identifying opportunities to enhance nature recovery.

Councillor Mike McKeown, in seconding the recommendation, welcomed the strategy as an important framework for restoring habitats and improving biodiversity across the district and county. He highlighted the role of healthy ecosystems in supporting climate resilience, including carbon storage and flood management, and referred to recent flooding during Storm Bert as an example of the impacts of poor land absorption. He added that the strategy was particularly significant for the Cotswolds, where the natural landscape was a key asset.

The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Juliet Layton and seconded by Councillor Mike McKeown

The proposal was put to the vote and agreed by Cabinet.

Voting record:

6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.

Supporting documents:

 

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