Borough Council Adopts Norfolk Local Nature Recovery Strategy

This legislation places new legal duties on local authorities, including ambitious targets such as achieving 10% Biodiversity Net Gain and producing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

The Norfolk LNRS was developed through a wide-ranging partnership involving Norfolk and Suffolk local authorities, environmental bodies such as the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Local Wildlife Trusts, Natural England, as well as landowners and community groups. While the Norfolk & Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership worked jointly on the process, separate strategies have been prepared for each county.

Cllr Michael de Whalley, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said:

“Nature is at the heart of life in West Norfolk. People choose to live, work, and visit here because of our stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity. A healthy environment underpins our local economy and our wellbeing—and we have a responsibility to protect it for future generations and for all life on Earth.

Our Corporate Strategy reflects this commitment. One of our four key aims is to protect our environment by creating a cleaner, greener, and better-protected West Norfolk. We do this by considering environmental issues in everything we do and encouraging residents and businesses to do the same.”

The LNRS sets out how the Borough Council, working with wildlife groups and communities, will restore nature, improve habitats, and help people and wildlife thrive together. It provides:

• A shared vision and plan for nature recovery in Norfolk.
• A mapping tool to identify where action will deliver the greatest benefits.
• Guidance for investment, planning, land management, and community projects.
• A framework for collective action across all sectors.

Work on the LNRS began in early 2024 with extensive surveys and data gathering on the condition of key wildlife sites, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). This was followed by stakeholder workshops and a public consultation (April–June 2025), inviting ideas and priorities for nature recovery. Feedback from the consultation shaped the final strategy, published in October 2025 and adopted by the Borough Council on 27 November 2025.

Cllr de Whalley added:

“This strategy will guide our Biodiversity Net Gain priorities, ensuring habitat creation happens where it delivers the greatest value. It will inform our next Local Plan, support Neighbourhood Plans, and help our farming community adapt and thrive.
We are already taking steps to implement nature recovery. Our recently published Pollinator Strategy tackles the alarming decline in pollinators and dovetails perfectly with the LNRS.

This is a bold, evidence-based plan for a bigger, better, and more connected natural environment.”

Further information, including the Norfolk LNRS and Local Habitat Map, is available on the County Council’s website: Norfolk Local Nature Recovery Strategy.