Lancashire's Local Nature Recovery Strategy
29th of June, 2025
We are lucky in Lancashire to have a diverse and spectacular environment and landscape, stretching from the uplands to the coast, including areas designated for their national and international importance for biodiversity. However, reflecting global and national trends, Lancashire's biodiversity has been declining.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are a system of strategies for nature and environmental improvement required by law under the Environment Act 2021. Lancashire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) aims to stop species loss, help local wildlife flourish and provide a wide range of environmental benefits, whilst making our environment more resilient. It also has a focus on improving life for local people, by driving for more equitable access to nature, and improved health outcomes.
The strategy has mapped out the key areas for nature across the county, looked at what’s putting them at risk, and where the best chances are to restore, enhance, and connect habitat, create new spaces for nature, and provide better access to natural environments that everyone can enjoy.
The strategy covers the wider Lancashire area including Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen and is one of a series of plans which link up across the country, and which aim to stop and reverse the decline of important biodiversity.
It's purpose is to assist land managers, developers, planners, environmental organisations, community groups and residents to pursue opportunities to help nature recover, and to target action and funding.
As the designated responsible authority, Lancashire County Council has led on the production of this Local Nature Recovery Strategy. However, an inclusive and collaborative approach has been taken to produce it with a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including Lancashire's 12 district councils and neighbouring unitary councils, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, national bodies responsible for our environment, environmental charities, local species and habitat experts and local landowners and managers.
It has also been shaped by stakeholders from the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sectors, and through input from nearly 1,000 people who responded to a public engagement survey held in early 2024 with their priorities for nature recovery in Lancashire.
This is a statutory consultation, and we would like to get as many responses as possible, to ensure the final strategy is as effective as it can be, and informed and understood by local communities.
Find out more and respond to the consultation before Sunday 3 August 2025 https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/strategies-policies-plans/environmental/local-nature-recovery-strategy.