As Chair of the Derbyshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) Steering Group, it is my pleasure to share this newsletter with you.
It provides information on the progress being made to prepare this strategy for our county, including Derby City and the part of the Peak District National Park within Derbyshire — to look at the current condition of our natural environment and what can be done to enrich it further, benefitting wildlife, boosting biodiversity, and giving habitats a helping hand.
When nature thrives, we all benefit, and as the Responsible Authority for the preparation of this strategy, Derbyshire County Council is committed to working with you — local residents, businesses, partner organisations and other groups — to get your views and ideas to help shape it.
I look forward to continuing to work together to prepare the plan and then put it into action for the future benefit of our natural environment.
We’ll keep you updated through regular newsletters as work progresses. Please feel free to circulate widely and encourage more people to subscribe to the newsletter and to get involved with the development of the strategy.
Dr Miles Watkins — Chair of the Derbyshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy
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Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new system of plans for nature and environmental improvement across England.
The purpose of these plans is to establish priorities and proposals to help nature to thrive and provide wider environmental benefits in the future.
We are one of 48 councils across the country appointed to lead the strategy at a local level. We’ll be mapping the location and condition of Derbyshire’s habitats and identifying where biodiversity is in decline or limited in ecosystem value.
The plan for Derbyshire will be specific to our county and the city of Derby and will set a long-term vision and action plan that is formed and delivered in partnership with a range of organisations and businesses as well as local people.
It will be based on existing good practice and expertise and create new opportunities to work together to allow nature to thrive.
Thanks to everyone who attended our launch conference in January.
Around 120 delegates representing a wide range of organisations and sectors came together at County Hall in Matlock to discuss what the strategy needs to address and how we work together to achieve it.
The conference included presentations from organisations including Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England, the National Farmers Union (NFU) and students from the University of Derby.
Ideas and comments shared as part of the conference are now being used to develop the draft strategy and are being used to help inform discussions and gain feedback from key groups over the coming months.
Following a recruitment exercise carried out in January 2024, Derbyshire County Council has appointed Dr Miles Watkins to the role of Chair of the Derbyshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy Steering Group.
As Chair, Miles will play a pivotal role in convening the collective interests and expertise of a wide range of stakeholders into the preparation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Derbyshire and apply his strategic leadership, communication, consensus building and governance skills in performing this role.
Dr Miles Watkins is a professional, independent environmental specialist who has spent most of his career operating at the crossover of commerce and nature. He has significant experience working with wildlife organisations on both a national and international level such as the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Born Free Foundation. He has held executive industry positions with both Aggregate Industries and the Building Research Establishment focused on sustainable construction and now, among his management consulting work, he runs two circular economy start-up companies.
 Ladybower Reservoir, the lowest of three reservoirs in the Upper Derwent Valley in Derbyshire, England.
The Derbyshire LNRS Advisory Board met for the first time on 12 March 2024. The Advisory Board includes representatives from Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, the Peak District National Park Authority, Natural England, the Derbyshire LNRS Supporting Authorities Group, and the Chair of the Derbyshire LNRS Steering Group.
The purpose of the Advisory Board is to make recommendations to Derbyshire County Council's Cabinet in respect to fulfilling its Responsible Authority duties, and in doing so, it will be responsible for reviewing and validating information referred to it by the LNRS Steering Group.
The Derbyshire LNRS Supporting Authorities Group met formally for the first time on 13 March 2024. This group includes representatives from all 11 supporting authorities.
The purpose of the Supporting Authorities Group is to enable the involvement of the supporting local authorities in the preparation of the LNRS and make proposals for drafting the LNRS to the Steering Group. The Supporting Authorities Group will also co-ordinate briefings with elected members of their respective authorities and seek to achieve political support for the final version of the LNRS for Derbyshire.
The Derbyshire LNRS Steering Group met for the first time on 14 March 2024. The Steering Group includes representatives from a range of stakeholder groups including agriculture and farming, environmental regulators, trust and charity landowners, and the supporting authorities.
The purpose of the Steering Group is to make proposals for the draft strategy for consideration by the LNRS Advisory Board. Another key purpose of the Steering Group is to promote effective organisational and sector stakeholder involvement in the preparation of proposals for the draft strategy and subsequent effective public consultation on the document.
 An upland moorland landscape and heather.
Producing a plan and putting it into action to help improve the natural environment in Derby City and Derbyshire isn’t something we can do alone.
We need views and input from a wide range of interested groups, organisations, businesses and individuals to help and we’ve been working with community researchers to help us gather initial thoughts and ideas from these groups over recent months.
A series of events have already taken place to gather information from key people and groups to help develop the technical content of the strategy and further events will be held during the summer.
A public consultation will also be launched so that residents across Derby City and Derbyshire can have their say about the draft strategy when it is ready to view in the autumn.
Over the next couple of months the focus of work will be on continuing to develop the content of the strategy, working with key groups and organisations, with input from the LNRS Supporting Authorities Group and Steering Group.
This work will form the draft strategy for public consultation in the autumn.
A dedicated Derbyshire LNRS website is also in development, details of which will be shared over the coming weeks.
If you would like any further information on the content of this newsletter, or would like to find out more about how you can get involved in the preparation of the LNRS for Derbyshire, please contact LNRS@derbyshire.gov.uk or visit the Find out more section on the Derbyshire County Council’s website.
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