Decision details

Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Decision Maker: Director of Community & Economic Development - Tracey Birkinshaw

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

To issue Cheltenham Borough Council’s response to Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy pre-consultation stage.

 

Reasons for the decision:

England is considered one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world following historic and ongoing declines. The government has made legally binding commitments to end these declines and for nature to recover it will require targeted, coordinated, and collaborative action. One of those commitments is the creation of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) covering the whole of England with no gaps or overlaps.

LNRS' purpose is to provide local maps of key habitats and set priorities for recovery. Gloucestershire County Council is one of the 48 responsible authorities across England to lead on preparing a LNRS, delivering this through the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership (GLNP) of which Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) is part of.

LNRS is now ready to progress to public consultation and we are required to issue an official response supporting this going forward.

The LNRS will set biodiversity priorities for our area, providing measures for habitats and species that will serve as up-to-date evidence base for both the emerging Strategic and Local Plan (SLP) and the emerging Nature Recovery Supplementary Planning Document, as well as being a material consideration for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and nature recovery decisions.

Through the various Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership LNRS Working Groups, it has been recommended that each Local Authority’s pre consultation response does not need cabinet approval.

 

Alternative options considered:

Our biodiversity duty sets that we need to proactively pursue actions with the potential to conserve and enhance biodiversity.

Not providing a timely response will mean the County Council could decide on the LNRS without our input as a form of affirmative silence. 

 

Other reasons / organisations consulted

Officers of CBC from planning policy, development management, climate, greenspace and trees teams have been working collaboratively with GLNP for several months providing feedback on maps and measures to design the LNRS.

Nicola Hillary, Partnership Manager of Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership presented at Planning Liaison Member Working Group (PLMWG) where Cabinet Member and other elected members had the opportunity to provide comments on the same topics.

Contact: John Spurling, Interim Planning Policy Team Leader Email: [email protected].

Publication date: 16/04/2025

Date of decision: 16/04/2025

Accompanying Documents: