Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS): What UK Landowners and Developers Need to Know
3 Feb 2025 | 7 min read
With Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) now a legal requirement for most developments in England, Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are becoming a crucial part of the planning system. These localised frameworks are designed to help reverse biodiversity loss and support nature recovery in a way that aligns with national conservation goals.
For developers, landowners, ecologists, and local planning authorities, LNRSs will influence where and how BNG is delivered, shaping site selection, habitat creation, and even the value of biodiversity credits. As these strategies roll out across England, understanding how they work and how they affect BNG compliance is essential.
What is a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)?
A Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is a statutory, map-based framework developed for specific areas of England to guide habitat restoration and biodiversity enhancements. Introduced as part of the Environment Act 2021, LNRSs are designed to help local planning authorities, landowners, and developers identify the most effective ways to restore nature and improve ecological connectivity.
Key objectives of an LNRS:
- Identify local biodiversity priorities – Highlighting habitats, species, and ecosystems that need protection or enhancement.
- Guide BNG implementation – Providing a spatial framework for where BNG efforts should be focused.
- Inform planning and land use decisions – Assisting local authorities and developers in delivering biodiversity commitments.
- Support the nature recovery network – Helping to establish ecologically connected landscapes across England.By identifying where and how biodiversity improvements should be made, LNRSs ensure that BNG measures contribute to wider nature recovery efforts.
What Local Nature Recovery Strategies look like
Each LNRS will be a combination of maps and policy recommendations, outlining priority areas for habitat restoration, species protection, and ecological connectivity.
Main components of an LNRS:
Statement of biodiversity priorities:
- Identifies key habitats and species in need of conservation.
- Aligns with national biodiversity targets and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) regulations.
- Highlights opportunities for habitat creation, restoration, and enhancement.
Spatial plan (Mapped strategy):
- Identifies areas suitable for BNG delivery, including sites for on-site and off-site biodiversity gains.
- Helps local planning authorities make informed decisions about development proposals.
- Supports BNG small sites by guiding smaller developers on where their biodiversity efforts will have the most impact.
Engagement with local stakeholders:
- Ensures input from landowners, conservation groups, developers, and local authorities.
- Encourages collaboration to maximise nature recovery efforts.
Each LNRS will be tailored to the local environment, but all must align with national conservation priorities and the wider Nature Recovery Network.
How Local Nature Recovery Strategies are prepared
The preparation of LNRSs is led by designated Responsible Authorities, which include county councils, combined authorities, and national park authorities. These authorities are responsible for working with local stakeholders to create a strategy that reflects both local and national biodiversity priorities.
Steps in LNRS preparation:
Data collection and baseline assessments:
- Responsible Authorities gather data on existing biodiversity, including habitat types and species distributions.
- This includes using the Biodiversity Metric to assess current ecological baselines.
Identifying priorities and opportunities:
- Consultations are held with landowners, developers, environmental groups, and local authorities.
- Priority habitats and species are identified, along with areas where BNG measures can be most effective.
Mapping nature recovery areas
- A spatial plan is developed, highlighting areas for habitat restoration, enhancement, and ecological corridors.
- These maps help developers and landowners identify where to focus BNG efforts.
Public consultation and finalisation
- Draft LNRSs are shared for public feedback, ensuring that local communities, businesses, and conservation organisations have a say in nature recovery planning.
- After revisions, the final strategy is adopted and integrated into local planning frameworks.
Once completed, LNRSs will become essential reference documents for those involved in land management, development, and biodiversity offsetting.
How LNRSs affect Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
The introduction of BNG regulations means that all new developments (except exempt projects) must deliver at least 10% net gain in biodiversity, using the Biodiversity Metric to measure gains and losses. LNRSs will directly influence how this requirement is met.
- Strategic site selection for BNG: Developers will need to align their BNG measures with LNRS priorities. If a site is within a mapped LNRS priority area, incorporating relevant habitat enhancements will increase planning approval chances.
- Measuring biodiversity in the context of LNRSs: The Biodiversity Metric assesses biodiversity based on habitat distinctiveness, condition, and connectivity. LNRSs will shape these assessments by identifying priority habitats and ecological networks.
- Impact on biodiversity credits and off-site BNG: When on-site BNG delivery isn’t possible, developers can invest in biodiversity credits or off-site BNG units. LNRSs help determine where off-site BNG should be located, influencing availability and pricing.
- Implications for BNG small sites: BNG small sites (residential developments under 1 hectare or commercial sites under 0.5 hectares) must still comply with BNG requirements. LNRSs provide guidance on the best habitat enhancements for small-scale developments.
In conclusion
The introduction of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) marks a significant shift in how BNG is implemented. By aligning BNG measures with LNRS priorities, developers and landowners can ensure that their biodiversity enhancements contribute to local and national conservation goals.
For developers, this means securing planning approval more efficiently by designing BNG strategies that align with mapped nature recovery areas.
For landowners, LNRSs create opportunities to sell biodiversity units, restore priority habitats, and contribute to wider nature recovery efforts.
With biodiversity credits, BNG small sites, and off-site BNG schemes all influenced by LNRSs, staying informed about local strategies will be crucial in 2024 and beyond.
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