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: 

  • Lancashire’s 12 district councils 
  • The neighbouring unitary councils Blackburn with Darwen, and Blackpool 
  • The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority 
  • Natural England 
  • Environment Agency 
  • Forestry Commission 
  • A broad range of stakeholders including habitat and species experts from local environmental organisations and Lancaster University. 

Landowners and managers such as farmers, local authorities, education providers, the NHS, and utilities companies, and members of the public have also shared their knowledge, experience and understanding of where nature recovery should be focused, and this information has fed into the production of the LNRS. 

A full list of those that have helped develop the LNRS is contained within the supporting <Draft Evidence and Technical Information document>. 

The strategy has been developed following the statutory and non-statutory guidance provided by DEFRA (The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and Natural England, taking an evidence-based and locally-led approach. 

Since September 2023, we have been gathering information to understand the pressures, opportunities and priorities for nature’s recovery in Lancashire.

This has included:

  • Stakeholders, and specialists on Lancashire’s habitats and species: For example, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the Woodland Trust, Lancashire Peat Partnership, the River Catchment Partnerships, the National Landscape* Teams, Natural England, the RSPB, the Butterfly Conservation Trust and various other species specialists and groups, as well as the LERN - the Lancashire Environment Record Network - Lancashire County Council and Biological Heritage Sites - Lancashire County Council
  • Public Engagement Survey: We received 963 responses, the highest across England, highlighting the importance of red squirrels, hedgehogs and bees, trees, and woodlands. Concerns were raised about the pollution of rivers, lakes, and groundwater*.
  • Interactive Map: Developed alongside the survey, this tool allowed all participants to provide information on locations important for nature recovery. The data collected helped with our strategy mapping.
  • People and Nature Roadshows: These events engaged sectors such as Health, Education, VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise), Active Lifestyles, and Community/Place-Based groups.
  • Engagement with Landowners and Managers: A Land Managers task group was set up with representatives from organisations including The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the National Farmers Union (NFU), United Utilities, the education sector, the NHS, Councils and our National Landscapes, who fed into the habitat work and helped with wider engagement through webinars, face-to-face workshops, and auction-mart drop-ins. We reached 275 individuals, including farmers, land managers, and agricultural students.
  • Youth Engagement: We participated in the Lancashire Youth Climate Conference to promote the LNRS and gather feedback from 16-19-year-olds on barriers, opportunities, and priorities for nature recovery. We also engaged with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust's Youth Council.

The <full Draft Strategy document> and <Evidence and Technical document> provide more detail, explaining the development process we followed, how the priorities were identified and the method we used to map potential measures.