Have your say on the draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes
Overview
We want to hear your views on our draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
Why we need to recover nature
Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes are home to a wide range of wildlife. For example, we have on our doorstep some of the world’s only chalk streams, ancient woodland and nationally significant populations of species such as native black poplar trees and black hairstreak butterflies.
The health of the natural environment is critical in supporting these habitats and species.
Nature is both vital for human life and economic growth and it is an important part of our heritage.
However, our wildlife is under threat and in decline for many reasons, including climate change, competition for land and the rise of pests and diseases.
We have drafted a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes to help reverse the decline in nature in our local area (also known as ‘recovering’ nature), and now we want your views on our draft.
What a Local Nature Recovery Strategy is
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) were introduced in the Environment Act 2021. Every area in England is producing one. A LNRS:
- provides a single vision for improving and increasing nature
- sets out local priorities and opportunities for nature recovery activities
- identifies the best locations to improve nature
- helps Local Planning Authorities plan with regard to the natural environment
- supports the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain (a national policy that requires a 10% increase in biodiversity in all new developments)
- helps deliver our National Environment Objectives set by Government
The strategies do not force the owners and managers of the land identified to make any changes. Instead, the Government is encouraging action through opportunities for funding and investment. For example, Environment Land Management Schemes (ELMs), Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), and for planning authorities to have regard to the LNRS in statutory Local Plans.
Who is responsible for developing the LNRS
We, Buckinghamshire Council, are responsible for developing the LNRS for the area. Milton Keynes City Council and Natural England are partners in the process. We commissioned the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Natural Environment Partnership (NEP), our Local Nature Partnership, to lead the LNRS process on our behalf.
How we have developed the LNRS
Stakeholder engagement is key to the development of the LNRS. Our stakeholders include, but are not limited to, the following:
- residents
- farmers and landowners
- town and parish councils
- businesses
- developers
- environmental organisations and experts
- local members
In Spring 2024, we identified a draft set of priorities for nature through workshops with our stakeholders. We also gathered information on the pressures on nature that are the most urgent to address, and the benefits that nature provides that are vital for us. Stakeholders also told us how they would like the LNRS to be presented so it is user-friendly.
We asked for views on the draft priorities from 8 July 2024 to 18 August 2024.
Buckinghamshire (not including Milton Keynes) was part of a Defra pilot to understand how best to develop LNRSs. The information gathered during the pilot will be incorporated in the final LNRS for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
The draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Every LNRS is required to produce a statement of biodiversity priorities and a local habit map.
The statement of biodiversity priorities:
- describes the area’s important landscapes, habitats and species
- describes the pressures on nature and opportunities for nature recovery
- includes a shortlist of priorities for nature recovery and potential measures (practical actions) to achieve the priorities relevant to the area
The local habitat map includes two maps that are required as part of the draft LNRS:
- a baseline map to show current areas that are of particular biodiversity importance – ‘Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity’ (APIB)
- a targeted map to show future nature recovery opportunities – ‘Areas that Could become of particular importance for Biodiversity’ (ACB)
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- This shows where the measures (practical actions) for achieving the area’s shortlisted nature recovery priorities would be best located to make the most difference to nature
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Related documents and links
Before you respond to this activity, please have a look at the following documents and links.
An executive summary and all supporting documents are available to view on our interactive LNRS summary.
The interactive LNRS summary is the best place to start. It is an online resource that provides a summary of the various sections of the LNRS, with links throughout to more detailed information should you wish to access it. The interactive LNRS summary includes the following:
- our mapping portal - this contains the Local Habitat Map which shows our:
- baseline map – ‘Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity’
- targeted map of nature recovery – ‘Areas that Could become of particular importance for Biodiversity’
- draft priorities and measures (PDF 1.75MB)
- full draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy document including Statement of Biodiversity Priorities (PDF 14.55MB)
Other supporting documents include:
- species shortlist and species niches (PDF 0.57MB)
- target areas for important species (PDF 0.38MB)
- methodology statements (PDF 2.42MB)
How to have your say
You can tell us your views in one of the following ways:
- complete the online survey using the link at the end of the page
- complete, and return, a printed version of the survey (PDF 0.3MB)
- email us at LNRS@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
- write to us at LNRS consultation, The NEP, Planning and Environment, Buckinghamshire Council, Walton Street Offices, Walton Street, Aylesbury, HP20 1UA
If you have any questions about this activity, or require this information in another format or language, please email us at LNRS@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Please tell us your views by 11:59pm on Monday 24 March 2025.
What happens next
We will consider all the responses we receive to help us develop the final Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.
The final version of the Strategy will be presented to Cabinet in Summer 2025 before it is presented to the Secretary of State for approval ahead of publication.
Privacy
We will use the information you provide here only for this activity. We will store the information securely in line with data protection laws and will not share or publish any personal details. For more information about data and privacy, please see our Privacy Policy.
Please note that we are required to publish all responses to this consultation as set out in government regulations (12.2). We ask that you do not disclose any personal information about yourself or anyone else in your response.
If you have questions about data and privacy, please email us on dataprotection@buckinghamshire.gov.uk or write to our Data Protection Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8FF.
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- All Areas
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- Environment
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- Communities
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