Issue - meetings

That:

a)      the proposed consultation response at Appendix B be approved; and 

b)      the Portfolio Holder for Climate and the Environment, in consultation with the Planning Policy Board, be given delegated authority to comment at the next stage as set out in paragraph 2.7 of the report.

The Business Manager – Planning Policy & Infrastructure presented a report informing the Cabinet of the production and consultation on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) by Nottinghamshire County Council and sought approval of the District Council’s response. The Environment Act 2021 established a requirement to produce a LNRS with the purpose of helping to reverse the ongoing decline of nature and biodiversity in England through coordinated, practical and focused action.

The County Council was appointed as the Responsible Authority for the LNRS for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and carried out the requisite consultation in March and April 2025. The District Council raised a number of issues, but it was considered that the matters raised could be addressed as part of any updates to the Strategy and therefore did not object. The Council’s letter and a summary of those issues were attached as Appendix A to the report.

The next stage was for the County Council to undertake a public consultation on the LNRS for six weeks which runs to 16 June 2025. The Council’s proposed response to this consultation was attached as Appendix B to the report. Both the Planning Policy Board and the Policy & Performance Improvement Committee had endorsed the proposed the draft response. The publication of the final LNRS for consideration would be undertaken in September 2025.

AGREED (unanimously) that:

a)       the proposed consultation response at Appendix B be approved; and 

b)       the Portfolio Holder for Climate and the Environment, in consultation with the Planning Policy Board, be given delegated authority to comment at the next stage as set out in paragraph 2.7 of the report.

Reasons for Decision:

To allow the District Council as a supporting authority to respond to consultations on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Options considered:

None, as a supporting authority it is considered important to respond to the consultation to assist the County Council in preparing the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.