Help Shape Our Local Nature Recovery Strategy

We're excited to announce the launch of a public consultation on our Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), and we need your input.

The LNRS will identify priority habitats and species, map opportunities for nature recovery, and provide an evidence base to inform future planning, land management, and investment decisions. It's intended to guide coordinated action among local authorities, landowners, environmental organisations, and community stakeholders, ensuring that nature recovery is embedded in wider policy and delivery.

This strategy is about creating a healthier, more resilient natural environment for people and wildlife across our community. It will guide how we protect and restore habitats, support biodiversity, and make space for nature alongside homes, businesses, and infrastructure.

The LNRS will have some influence on the Planning process as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications and in developing local policy. Local planning authorities are expected to use LNRSs as part of their evidence base when preparing Local Plans and assessing planning applications.

The LNRS includes a Statement of Biodiversity Priorities, explaining how nature recovery can be driven forward in different parts of Somerset, and mapping of areas of particular biodiversity importance and areas that could become important for biodiversity. However, importantly, it does not create new legal designations or protections, or impose duties directly on landowners or developers, it guides rather than compels.

Therefore, where land is identified within the LNRS mapping, this does not in itself protect it from future development. Should development be proposed on such land, then the LNRS should influence how those proposals come forward alongside development plan policy and other material considerations, potentially influencing site design, landscaping, open space and biodiversity net gain provision within the site. This can supplement and complement existing ecological protections for habitats and species which continue to apply where relevant.

The consultation is open until 31 October 2025 and seeks views on the emerging evidence, proposed priorities, and potential areas for action. Feedback will help shape a strategy that reflects local knowledge, balances competing land uses, and maximises benefits for biodiversity, climate resilience, and community wellbeing.

Whether it’s planting wildflower meadows, improving river health, connecting green spaces, or safeguarding rare species, the strategy will set priorities for action that reflect local needs and opportunities. But to get it right, we need to hear from you.

Get involved and share your views through the online consultation survey.

Your voice matters. Together, we can ensure the strategy delivers for both people and nature, creating greener places to live, work, and play, while tackling the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.