Member

Furthermore, the Environment Act 2021 introduced local nature recovery strategies that are now being rolled out across England. These spatial strategies for environmental improvement are developed in partnership with local stakeholders and enable strategic authorities to agree a set of priorities for nature recovery. They map the most valuable existing areas for nature, which are often underpinned by other protections in the planning system, and areas which could become of particular importance for biodiversity. The Government published new guidance in February 2025 setting out the important role of local nature recovery strategies in the planning system for plan-making and decision-making. Under provisions in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 expected to come into force later this year, local planning authorities will need to take relevant local nature recovery strategies into account when preparing plans. These provisions apply not only to local plans but to neighbourhood plans and, importantly, they are proposed to apply to new-style spatial development strategies via Clause 52 of this Bill.