Mist over River Spey and Strathspey in winter, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK © Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
Local elections in England
The commitments council candidates can make for nature
Local Council Elections are taking place across parts of England this May. Councillors can play a major role in improving the serious state of our natural world.
Council candidates can stand up for nature by making a commitment to pursue the below policies if elected:
- Put nature in all policies and appoint a named nature lead
- Embed the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) in local plans and decisions
- Support vital Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) and the Local Environmental Records Centre (LERC)
- Increase public access to nature
- Use nature-based solutions to fix local resilience
- Invest in nature to help coastal communities adapt to change (for authorities in coastal areas)
Female orange-vented mason bee by Wendy Carter
Put nature in all policies and appoint a named nature lead
The loss of nature harms our health, resilience and local prosperity. Putting nature at the heart of every decision makes it everyone’s job.
Councils can adopt a simple “Nature in All Policies” test for every strategy, budget and decision and give a cabinet/committee leader clear responsibility for nature, climate and biodiversity.
What this means
- Update constitutions, report templates and the corporate plan and budgets, so each proposal shows its impact on nature and climate; publish an annual progress summary.
- Designate a cabinet/committee portfolio for environment, climate and biodiversity to drive nature recovery action across the authority
Split level view of the River Itchen © Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION
Embed the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) in local plans and decisions
LNRS are the roadmap for local nature recovery across England. They identify the very best places to help wildlife recover and help connect habitats across your local area.
The council can ensure a close link between their policies and reports to LNRS priorities by aligning all decisions about development and design codes for planning with LNRS maps and measures.
What this means
- In plan‑making and decisions: Use LNRS priorities and use maps as a baseline for all planning policies, design codes, validation requirements and committee reports.
- Coordinate, facilitate and contribute to delivering LNRS priorities locally and monitoring and reporting progress into the partnership.
Baker's Hill Local Wildlife Site in Gloucestershire © Zsuzsanna Bird
Support vital Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) and the Local Environmental Records Centre (LERC)
Local Wildlife Sites form the backbone of local nature networks. Local Environmental Record Centres preserve local, high‑quality nature data so that councils can have the right information for planning and delivery decisions.
The Council can map and safeguard locally designated sites and fund LERCS, using their data to underpin decisions.
What this means
- Base Local Plan policies on LWS and ecological networks. They must be identified in the plan and then prioritised for action in the LNRS.
- Financially support LWS partnerships and the LERC. Apply their data in planning decisions
Ben Hall/2020VISION
Increase public access to nature
Access to green spaces, rivers, woods and fields is vital for supporting our physical and mental health, learning and play.
These places also provide lots of special local habitats for wildlife. The council can use statutory powers to make more space for nature where the authority owns/leases land or can agree access with owners.
What this means
- Restore nature on council owned land (parks, verges, campuses, parks) to close gaps where local people don’t have access to nature close to their home.
- Support local community groups to identify and take joint responsibility for small plots nearby, enabling community pride in creating space for wildlife.
© David Parkyn
Use nature-based solutions to fix local resilience
Nature can cut flood risk, drought risk, cool streets, improve water quality and grow the local economy - whilst creating wildlife corridors that people love.
Councils can grow natural flood management, sustainable drainage solutions (SuDS) and nature infrastructure to help make our local area more resilient.
What this means
- Use Local Lead Flooding Authority powers to prioritise nature-based solutions and require high‑quality SuDS across consented developments to reduce local flood risk and drought.
Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
Invest in nature to help coastal communities adapt to change (for authorities in coastal areas)
Coastal communities need support to adapt to erosion and flooding driven by sea‑level rise and stronger, climate driven, storms.
Investing in nature along the coast helps protect local communities and create habitats, like seagrass, for wildlife. Councils can use their powers to prioritise these nature based solutions for coastal challenges.
What this means
- Join up land and sea by aligning terrestrial plans with nearby Marine Plans and working with marine authorities to maximise nature recovery across land and sea.
- Where relevant, Biodiversity Net Gain can be directed to help secure coastal habitat enhancements such as the restoration of coastal grazing marsh.
- Councils must utilise the Coastal Erosion Assistance Grant (CEAG) for homes at imminent risk and the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme (CTAP) and wider flood & coastal innovation funding to pilot adaptation on the ground.
More information
If you would like more information, The Wildlife Trusts have produced a series of briefings around some of the key nature policy issues, which can be downloaded below.
