DEFRA LNRS Statutory Guidance
Source: environment.data.gov.uk (2025-08-18)

Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Spatial Data for the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)

This dataset comprises the spatial layers associated with the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy, as published in August 2025. These layers have been developed collaboratively through a local partnership, in accordance with statutory guidance issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The dataset includes mapped areas identified as being of particular importance for biodiversity, encompassing nationally and locally designated conservation sites, irreplaceable habitats, and other ecologically significant locations. It also identifies areas with potential to become of particular importance for biodiversity, including those that may serve as ecological corridors or stepping-stones to support nature recovery.

Collectively, these spatial layers define the footprint of the Greater Manchester Nature Network, representing a strategic vision for enhancing and connecting habitats across the region in support of biodiversity and wider environmental objectives.

Attribution Statement for Greater Manchester LNRS Spatial Data

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database rights 2025 (OS licence number: OS AC0000808397); Contains Natural England data © Crown copyright and database rights 2025; Contains Forestry Commission data © Crown copyright and database rights 2025; Contains Rural Payments Agency data © 2025 Rural Payments Agency; Contains Woodland Trust data – reproduced with the permission of The Woodland Trust for use in Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) purposes only, subject to the conditions of their non-commercial licence; Contains Greater Manchester Ecology Unit data © Crown copyright and database rights 2025.

Local nature recovery strategy 
statutory guidance 
What a local nature recovery strategy should contain 
Presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 106(5) of the Environment Act 
2021 
March 2023 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We are the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. We are responsible for 
improving and protecting the environment, growing the green economy, sustaining thriving 
rural communities and supporting our world-class food, farming and fishing industries.  
We work closely with our 33 agencies and arm’s length bodies on our ambition to make 
our air purer, our water cleaner, our land greener and our food more sustainable. Our 
mission is to restore and enhance the environment for the next generation, and to leave 
the environment in a better state than we found it. 
© Crown copyright 2023 
This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this 
licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/  
This publication is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications   
Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at 
1st floor (SE corner), Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, SW1P 4DF 
Or email: xxx@xxx.xx 
PB no14793 
www.gov.uk/defra  
ISBN 978-1-5286-3996-5 
E02884866 03/23 
Printed on paper containing 40% recycled fibre content minimum 
Printed in the UK by HH Associates Ltd. on behalf of the Controller of His Majesty’s 
Stationery Office 

3 of 20 
Contents 
About local nature recovery strategies ................................................................................. 4 
Working with local partners .................................................................................................. 6 
What to include in a local nature recovery strategy ............................................................. 7 
Map areas of particular importance for biodiversity .......................................................... 8 
Map areas where nature recovery action has been taken .............................................. 10 
Describe the strategy area, its biodiversity and opportunities for recovery ..................... 11 
Agree priorities and identify potential measures ............................................................. 13 
Map areas that could become of particular importance .................................................. 16 
How to present the strategy ............................................................................................... 19 

4 of 20 
1. This guidance is provided by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural 
Affairs under section 106(5) of the Environment Act 2021 (hereafter, ‘the Act’) It explains 
what a responsible authority should include in their local nature recovery strategy. 
Responsible authorities are required by law to have regard to this guidance when 
preparing their strategy. Responsible authorities should read this guidance alongside 
the local nature recovery strategy regulations which set out the procedure to be followed 
in the preparation and publication, and review and republication of local nature recovery 
strategies. 
About local nature recovery strategies 
2. Local nature recovery strategies are a system of spatial strategies for nature and 
environmental improvement required by law under the Act. Each strategy must:  
• agree priorities for nature’s recovery 
• map the most valuable existing areas for nature 
• map specific proposals for creating or improving habitat for nature and wider 
environmental goals  
3. The Defra Secretary of State decides the area that each strategy covers, and appoints 
a ‘responsible authority’ to lead its preparation, publication, review and republication. 
Defra will publish information on the area covered by each strategy and who the 
responsible authorities are. Together, the strategies will cover the whole of England with 
no gaps and no overlaps.  
4. The main purpose of the strategies is to identify locations to create or improve habitat 
most likely to provide the greatest benefit for nature and the wider environment. The 
strategies do not force the owners and managers of the land identified to make any 
changes. Instead, the government is encouraging action through, for example, 
opportunities for funding and investment.  
5. Actions which support and draw on nature to provide wider environmental or societal 
benefits are called ‘nature-based solutions’. Having both actions for nature recovery and 
nature-based solutions will help join up work to improve how land is managed for 
different environmental reasons and find activities that have multiple benefits. 
6. Responsible authorities should involve people and groups from across the public, 
private and voluntary sectors and help them to work together. The strategy will benefit 
from their understanding of what environmental issues are most important locally. This 
will also encourage them to carry out the proposals in the strategy. 
7. The Act establishes 2 mechanisms to support the delivery of local nature recovery 
strategies:  
• mandatory biodiversity net gain  
• a strengthened biodiversity duty on public authorities 
The strategies will identify where action to achieve net gain will have the most impact 
and encourage action in these locations through the way net gain is calculated. All public 

5 of 20 
authorities will also have to have regard to relevant local nature recovery strategies 
under the strengthened biodiversity duty.  
8. The government intends for local nature recovery strategies to inform the local planning
process.  Local planning authorities must have regard to them in complying with the
strengthened biodiversity duty. The government will provide separate guidance to
explain what this means in practice.
9. Further support for strategy delivery may come from funding for specific activities
mapped by the strategy.
10. Responsible authorities should contribute to the delivery of their strategy as well as
leading its preparation.  However, they are not solely responsible for delivering the
strategy. This should be a shared effort with public, private and voluntary sector partners
all playing a role.
11. Responsible authorities must review and republish their strategies as part of an ongoing
cycle which considers what has been achieved and proposes what further work is
needed for nature to recover. The local nature recovery strategy regulations set out
when and how often reviews will take place. The stages in this cycle are:
•
1. Prepare - agree priorities, identify ‘potential measures’ (actions for achieving
them) and map suitable locations for carrying them out.
•
2. Publish - finalise the strategy and make it available.
•
3. Take action - local partners work together with landowners and managers
to create and enhance habitat for nature and environment, and take other
biodiversity-positive actions.
•
4. Review - recognise what actions have been delivered, including those not
identified in the current strategy.
•
5. Update - revisit priorities, potential measures and suitable locations, to
reflect progress and changing circumstances to ensure the strategy remains
relevant and ambitious.
•
6. Republish - finalise the updated strategy and make it available.

6 of 20 
Figure 1: Local nature recovery strategy review and republication cycle 
 
Working with local partners 
12. Under the regulations, responsible authorities must work together with partners when 
preparing their strategy and later when reviewing and preparing it for republication. This 
aims to: 
• provide a single vision for nature recovery and the use of nature-based 
solutions that all interested parties have been able to contribute to and work 
towards 
• build and strengthen local partnerships that will be important for carrying out 
the strategies as well as preparing them 
• involve the people who own and manage the land, and the people who take 
regulatory decisions, so they can contribute to what action is being proposed, 
where and why 
13. In working with partners, responsible authorities should apply these principles: 
• transparency – be able to show how partner contributions have been 
considered, how decisions have been made, and what the basis for them is 
• inclusivity – enable everyone with an interest to be involved where possible 
• clear communication – avoid using technical terms that may not be understood 
by partners and end users 
14. By working with local partners in this way, responsible authorities will be able to produce 
strategies that are technically sound and evidence based. They will also benefit from 
local knowledge and have the support from partners to help achieve successful delivery.  
15. Responsible authorities should consider and set out how they intend to engage and 
actively involve local partner organisations and communities early in the process of 

7 of 20 
preparing or reviewing their strategy. This should include engaging with supporting 
authorities and neighbouring responsible authorities.  
What to include in a local nature recovery 
strategy 
16. This section explains what to include in a local nature recovery strategy. It follows the 
same order as the steps responsible authorities should take to prepare or review their 
strategy.
17. By law, each local nature recovery strategy must include:
•
a statement of biodiversity priorities
•
a local habitat map
18. Under the Act, the written statement of biodiversity priorities must include:
•
a description of the strategy area and its biodiversity
•
a description of the opportunities for recovering or enhancing biodiversity in 
the strategy area
•
the priorities for recovering or enhancing biodiversity (taking into account the 
contribution that this can also make to other environmental benefits)
•
proposals as to potential measures relating to those priorities
Its purpose is to draw together existing information on the state of nature and the 
environment in the strategy area, to agree what the strategy is trying to achieve and to 
identify practical actions that could achieve them.  
19. The local habitat map must identify:
•
national conservation sites in the strategy area
•
local nature reserves in the strategy area
The habitat map must also identify other areas in the strategy area which in the 
opinion of the responsible authority:  
•
are, or could become, of particular importance for biodiversity, or
•
are areas where the recovery or enhancement of biodiversity could make a
particular contribution to other environmental benefits
Its purpose is to provide a clear visual way for groups and individuals to understand the 
areas which are or could become of particular importance for biodiversity and the 
environment to target nature recovery action.  
20. Responsible authorities should prepare their strategy so that the statement of 
biodiversity priorities and local habitat map work closely together. To do this, they should 
follow this order of steps:
•
1. Map areas of particular importance for biodiversity.
•
2. Map areas where nature recovery action has taken place (when the 
strategy is reviewed)

8 of 20 
•
3. Describe the strategy area, its biodiversity and opportunities for recovery
in the written statement.
•
4. Agree priorities and identify potential measures for achieving them in the
written statement.
•
5. Map areas that could become of particular importance using the
information in step 4.
Steps 1 and 2 will form part of the local habitat map. They will also provide important 
information for steps 3 and 4 which together form the statement of biodiversity priorities. 
The information written in step 4 is needed for step 5 which completes the local habitat 
map.   
Figure 2: Order of steps to be followed in preparing contents of a local nature 
recovery strategy  
Map areas of particular importance for biodiversity 
21. Every local habitat map must identify all national conservation sites and local nature
reserves. They must also identify “other areas in the strategy area which in the opinion
of the responsible authority are of particular importance for biodiversity”. The
government will provide responsible authorities with a national habitat map. This map

9 of 20 
will include information on national conservation sites and local nature reserves for this 
purpose. As local nature reserves are identified locally, local partners may have more 
up-to-date information than the government can provide. The local nature recovery 
strategy regulations give responsible authorities powers to request information on local 
nature reserves from other local planning authorities in the strategy area if necessary. 
22. Responsible authorities should take a consistent approach to identifying the other areas 
of particular importance for biodiversity in their local habitat map, they should include: 
• all existing local wildlife sites 
• areas of irreplaceable habitat 
• other areas identified by the Secretary of State as being of particular 
importance 
This will help local nature recovery strategies integrate well with other environmental 
and land use policies. 
23. ‘Local wildlife site’ is a term used to describe various areas identified at a local level for 
their biodiversity value, which are granted protection from inappropriate development or 
change of use. Including them in the local habitat map as areas of particular importance 
will help align local nature recovery strategies with the planning system. If responsible 
authorities do not have information on all the local wildlife sites in their area, the local 
nature recovery strategy regulations provide powers to request this information from the 
relevant local planning authority. 
24. Responsible authorities should map known areas of irreplaceable habitats, such as 
ancient woodland, as areas of particular importance for biodiversity. Protecting 
irreplaceable habitat is established government policy. The government is preparing 
regulations to establish a clear legal definition of ‘irreplaceable habitat’. Until this is 
available, responsible authorities should use the definition of irreplaceable habitat in the 
National Planning Policy Framework.  
25. The Secretary of State may identify areas that, in their opinion, are of particular 
importance for biodiversity. If the Secretary of State does this, they will inform the 
relevant responsible authority who should map these areas as being of particular 
importance - unless there are strong reasons not to. 
26. Responsible authorities should not map any other areas that are not mentioned in 
paragraph 22 as being of particular importance for biodiversity. This is not to suggest 
that other areas are not of importance for biodiversity. This is to help establish a 
nationally consistent baseline of areas whose particular importance has already been 
recognised and are protected. This will help local nature recovery strategies align well 
with local planning policy and avoid duplicating with the identification of local wildlife 
sites.  
27. If the responsible authority believes that additional areas require protection due to their 
particular importance, they should discuss making those areas local wildlife sites with 
the relevant local planning authority (if this is not the responsible authority).  

10 of 20 
28. When reviewing their local nature recovery strategy ahead of republication, responsible 
authorities should identify any changes to the areas of particular importance for 
biodiversity and update their local habitat map. 
29. Responsible authorities may need to consult with other parties to identify areas of 
particular importance, including Natural England, other local authorities and national 
park authorities (where relevant). They may also need to request data from other 
organisations, for example on the distribution of irreplaceable habitats. However, this 
step is not expected to require wide engagement with local partner organisations and 
so should be comparatively quick to complete.  
Map areas where nature recovery action has been taken 
30. The Defra Secretary of State will tell responsible authorities when they must review and 
republish their local nature recovery strategies. This will be every 3 to 10 years. These 
reviews should show what actions for nature have been done since the strategy was 
last published. Responsible authorities are strongly encouraged to record the specific 
locations in their republished strategy’s local habitat map where this action has been 
taken. 
31. Mapped areas should show the previous strategy’s proposed actions (‘potential 
measures’) that have been taken forward. They should also include other actions that 
were not included in the strategy but were done since the strategy was last published 
and support delivery of its priorities.  Responsible authorities should consider whether 
the action taken is significant enough to include in the local habitat map and should get 
advice from Natural England if necessary. Actions should only be mapped if they have 
or are expected to bring about significant or lasting positive change rather than minor, 
short-term or uncertain benefits. 
32. Responsible authorities should use both published information and information provided 
by local partners to undertake this mapping. Useful sources of published information 
include: 
• reports published by public authorities as part of their duty to conserve and 
enhance biodiversity 
• the biodiversity gain site register 
• other government data  
33. When responsible authorities review and republish their strategies, they should decide 
whether the locations of previous activity can be kept on the local habitat map. Further 
positive action does not need to have been taken since the last republication for a 
location to remain mapped. However, if the responsible authority recognises that 
previous activity is no longer providing benefits, they should not continue to map that 
location. It might be better to propose more beneficial action in these areas instead. 
34. Responsible authorities may need to engage with a broad range of local partners to 
identify areas where action has been taken to increase their importance for biodiversity. 
This is likely to include individuals and organisations who hold information on how areas 
of land are managed. 

11 of 20 
Describe the strategy area, its biodiversity and 
opportunities for recovery 
35. Each statement of biodiversity priorities must include:  
• a description of the strategy area and its biodiversity 
• a description of the opportunities for recovering or enhancing biodiversity, in 
terms of habitats and species, in the strategy area 
36. The purpose of the strategy area description is to inform setting priorities for recovering 
or enhancing biodiversity and environmental improvement within the strategy area. To 
do this, responsible authorities should consider: 
• the range of habitats in the strategy area and their general distribution – 
especially priority habitats. They should also include habitats of local 
importance, including ones that support scarce or declining species 
• how this distribution and extent of habitats has changed in recent decades, 
including habitats that may have been lost entirely from the strategy area 
• the species or groups of species for which the strategy area is, or could 
feasibly be, of national importance  
• anticipated future pressures likely to influence species or the extent, 
distribution or quality of different habitat types – including recognising the 
impact of climate change scenarios and anticipated new developments, 
including house building and infrastructure 
• wider environmental issues affecting part or all of the strategy area which 
changes in land use or management could help to address – for example 
improvements to the water environment, flood risk management, or climate 
mitigation and adaptation 
37. Whilst local nature recovery strategies should consider both habitats and species this 
guidance refers more often to habitats. This is because habitat types give a helpful 
indication of an area’s general environmental characteristics including which species it 
is likely to support and what environmental benefits it may provide. Responsible 
authorities should refer to habitat types throughout their statement of biodiversity 
priorities to help link them together and connect the statement to the local habitat map.  
38. When writing a statement of biodiversity priorities, responsible authorities should refer 
to: 
• the areas of particular importance for biodiversity 
• the areas where action has been taken (for strategy reviews) 
• relevant nationally held data provided by government 
39. Responsible authorities should also refer to a wide range of other available data and 
expertise from local partner organisations. This information might be sensitive or have 
commercial value. In this case, the responsible authority should work with the 
information owner on how it could be shared and used for the strategy’s preparation or 
review without the information itself being made more widely available. 

12 of 20 
40. When describing the strategy area, responsible authorities may find it helpful to 
recognise sub-areas that have similar topography, geology and soil type. These 
characteristics will heavily influence where different habitats and land management can 
be supported. Neighbouring responsible authorities are encouraged to take a common 
approach to areas near strategy boundaries, to support good joint working across 
landscapes that span different strategies. 
41. When describing the strategy area, responsible authorities should draw on other 
relevant spatial plans. This should include local plans, or environmental plans such as 
river basin management plans and related plans for water management. This will avoid 
duplicating effort and help integrate the activities that each plan is promoting into the 
strategy.  
42. Coastal local nature recovery strategies are required to follow the relevant local 
authorities’ boundaries. This usually means extending into the inter tidal zone as far as 
low water, but can be further around river estuaries. Coastal responsible authorities 
should consider how to factor in neighbouring marine areas and plans in their strategies. 
Linking local nature recovery strategies and marine spatial planning would help to 
identify land management changes that could benefit the estuarine or marine zone. For 
example, by improving the quality of water leaving river systems or managing coastal 
erosion risks. 
43. Responsible authorities should use the ‘description of the strategy area and its 
biodiversity’ as a basis for writing ‘a description of the opportunities for recovering or 
enhancing biodiversity, in terms of habitats and species, in the strategy area’. They 
could choose to combine the description of the strategy area and the description of 
opportunities together. For example, when describing why a habitat in the strategy is 
important, they could also include opportunities to recover or enhance it as part of the 
description.  
44. Responsible authorities, with Natural England’s support, should seek to: 
• identify the existing or potential habitats considered to be either locally or 
nationally important and the practicality of improving existing areas’ condition, 
or creating new areas of these habitats 
• identify the existing or potential species (or groups of species) in the area that 
the strategy could make a particular contribution to enhancing or recovering, 
and assess the practicality of creating or enhancing habitats to support this.  
45. Responsible authorities should avoid suggesting specific locations where they could 
recover or enhance biodiversity in their statement of biodiversity priorities. They should 
only identify locations in the local habitat map. If assessing potential opportunities leads 
to proposals for specific locations, they should note and use these to inform the later 
stages of preparing the strategy. 
46. When reviewing their strategy, responsible authorities should update the description and 
opportunities to show what has changed since the strategy was last published. 
Responsible authorities should also include a summary of progress in this period, or 
since the publication of the first strategy, or both. 

13 of 20 
47. Responsible authorities should involve partner organisations when preparing the 
description as this is likely to offer good engagement opportunities before critical 
decision-making steps later in the preparation of the strategy.  
Agree priorities and identify potential measures  
48. Each statement of biodiversity priorities must set out ‘the priorities, in terms of habitats 
and species, for recovering or enhancing biodiversity (taking into account the 
contribution that recovering or enhancing biodiversity can also make to other 
environmental benefits)’. This is an important step in the process of preparing a local 
nature recovery strategy as it establishes what the strategy is seeking to achieve. It is, 
therefore, a stage in strategy preparation where engagement with local partners will be 
particularly needed. 
49. The reference to ‘other environmental benefits’ is an important feature of local nature 
recovery strategies. This is how the strategies can include ‘nature-based solutions’ to 
address wider environmental issues as well as priorities for recovering or enhancing 
biodiversity.  
50. Each statement of biodiversity priorities must also include ‘proposals as to the potential 
measures relating to those priorities’. These are the practical actions that, if taken, would 
make positive contributions to delivering the priorities agreed with local partners. For 
example, rotational coppicing of native woodland to provide dormouse habitat or ditch-
blocking to re-wet degraded peat to mitigate climate change. 
51. Responsible authorities should try to clearly distinguish between priorities (the end 
results that the strategy is seeking to achieve) and the specific practical actions to 
achieve those priorities (the ‘potential measures’). However, there is a close relationship 
between these 2 required elements and responsible authorities may wish to develop 
them at the same time.  
52. The priorities identified by every local nature recovery strategy should reflect local 
circumstances, including the most important issues to local people and organisations. 
They should also reflect what contribution the strategy area can make to national 
environmental objectives, commitments and targets, including those legally binding 
targets established by the Act. This is so that local nature recovery strategies can work 
together coherently to recover and enhance biodiversity and improve the natural 
environment across England.  
53. Priorities for recovering or enhancing particular species or habitats to improve 
biodiversity should be based on the assessment of ‘opportunities’ described at 
paragraph 44. However, local partners should still be able to suggest additional habitats 
and species that they consider important at this stage. 
54. Examples of wider national environmental objectives that all local nature recovery 
strategies should seek to contribute to are: 
• mitigating climate change (for example, through the potential measure of 
planting trees) 

14 of 20 
• improving the water environment (for example, through the potential measure 
of creating wetlands) 
• mitigating flood risk (for example, through the potential measure of restoring 
degraded upland peat) 
55. These examples illustrate the need for wider natural environment objectives to be 
deliverable, at least in part, through the recovery or enhancement of biodiversity. For 
many wider priorities this will be straightforward because the use of ‘nature-based 
solutions’ to address these issues is increasingly established. When setting priorities, it 
may be helpful to consider potential measures to avoid priorities that the strategy can 
do little to address. For example, reducing historic land contamination. 
56. Strategy priorities should be the species and habitats that the strategy will focus on 
supporting, and achievable improvements to the wider natural environment through their 
conservation and enhancement. But recovering or enhancing biodiversity does not just 
benefit the natural environment. For example, improving biodiversity can help increase 
land value or support people’s health and wellbeing and access to nature. Whilst these 
co-benefits are different from the strategy priorities, responsible authorities and local 
partners can propose action for biodiversity in ways and in places that will achieve them.  
57. The government will provide more detailed, up-to-date advice on the specific national 
environmental objectives which each local nature recovery strategy should contribute 
to. This will enable the strategies to adapt to evolving national priorities when they are 
reviewed and republished.  
58. Responsible authorities should use the national environmental objectives to guide their 
strategy’s scope and identify locally relevant priorities which align with them where 
possible.  This does not mean that every strategy must contribute to every national 
environmental objective but responsible authorities may be challenged by local partners 
to show how national objectives have been considered. 
59. Responsible authorities should seek support for their priorities from across the public, 
private and voluntary sectors to encourage their support for delivering the strategy. To 
achieve this, the responsible authority should gather possible priorities from existing 
published plans and strategies, and from engaging directly with locally active 
organisations and individuals. Responsible authorities should first create a longlist of 
suggestions. They should then exclude any suggestions that are out of scope before 
narrowing down to select a shortlist of priorities that the responsible authorities consider 
critical for the strategy to address.  Priorities can include where action within the strategy 
area could positively affect neighbouring areas. For example, coastal strategy areas 
could consider how they can benefit neighbouring marine areas.  
60. Responsible authorities may find a mix of what could be priorities or potential measures 
by sifting published documents and contributions from local partners. They may choose 
to gather both as part of a single exercise, before separating them and matching 
potential measures with each priority.  
61. Responsible authorities should be transparent when deciding which possible priorities 
to select from the longlist. This involves showing local partners and helping them to 
understand how they considered their contributions. Decisions should be evidence-

15 of 20 
based and lead to a manageable number of agreed priorities for the strategy. These 
priorities should reflect a balance of suggestions from local partners and support 
national environmental objectives.   
62. When reviewing the strategy, responsible authorities should let partners assess and 
challenge the published strategy’s current priorities. This should include proposing new 
priorities and potentially removing existing ones. Progress made in delivering the 
previous priorities will be an important factor in this process. 
63. Local partners will have an important role to play in identifying a comprehensive set of 
potential measures for delivery of the agreed priorities. Responsible authorities should 
seek contributions from partners with ecological and environmental expertise and 
practical land management experience. There may be many potential measures to 
support each priority. For example, actions to restore peat or plant trees will both help 
mitigate climate change. Or a single potential measure could help achieve more than 
one priority. For example, creating wetlands can mitigate flood risk and improve water 
quality.  
64. Responsible authorities should set out the potentially complex relationships between 
priorities and potential measures as clearly as possible. This will enable local partners, 
including landowners and other decision makers, to understand:  
• why particular potential measures are being proposed 
• how different potential measures can contribute to the same priority 
• how a potential measure can achieve multiple priorities 
Doing this transparently increases the chances of the strategy leading to positive 
practical action. To be persuasive, both priorities and potential measures must be 
expressed clearly, simply and in an accessible way for the range of people who will use 
them. Natural England will provide support and advice on how to do this.  
65. Responsible authorities should include enough detail in their potential measures so that 
non-experts can understand their purpose and be able to seek further guidance or 
instructions (if necessary) to confidently carry them out successfully. However, potential 
measures should not be detailed instructions on how to implement them.   
66. Most potential measures should be ways of enhancing existing habitat and creating new 
habitats. This is because identifying locations to carry out these sorts of actions is the 
local nature recovery strategy’s main purpose (paragraph 4). To help map out suitable 
locations, these potential measures should clearly state the habitat type which they 
relate to, using the same classification system as the local habitat map. Responsible 
authorities may find it helpful to include a smaller number of potential measures which 
do not involve creating or improving habitat but which are necessary to achieve a 
strategy priority.  
67. Local nature recovery strategies should be practical, realistic and deliverable 
documents. So, responsible authorities should avoid including any potential measures 
that are not likely to be implemented in the foreseeable future. 
68. Responsible authorities should engage with local partner organisations to find out what 
environmental projects are already planned or underway to see if the projects could be 

16 of 20 
included as potential measures. This allows the local nature recovery strategies to 
incorporate existing relevant work and to align with other environmental spatial 
strategies. This will help improve efficiency and achieve better environmental outcomes. 
Examples of relevant strategies include river basin management plans, local tree and 
woodland strategies and National Park Management Plans. 
69. Responsible authorities should recognise that the benefits provided by some potential 
measures will depend on precisely how, when and where they are carried out. This will 
be particularly relevant when creating new habitats, rather than improving existing ones, 
as whether the potential measure is “biodiversity positive” will depend on what habitat 
is being replaced. For example, planting trees can make an important contribution to 
climate change mitigation, but whether it is positive for biodiversity will depend on putting 
the right tree in the right place.  
70. Responsible authorities should take an inclusive approach and include potential 
measures that can create a positive effect on biodiversity if carried out correctly and in 
the right place. For example, creation of productive woodland. However, they should 
make sure the potential measure reflects any uncertainty and consider this in more detail 
when identifying suitable locations. Responsible authorities may also shape potential 
measures so that they will deliver non-environmental co-benefits, for example improving 
public access to green space as well as helping biodiversity. 
71. Defra may provide a suggested list of potential measures with standard wording for 
responsible authorities to use, adapt or create different potential measures. Using 
consistent wording can help to align local nature recovery strategies with potential 
funding sources for the delivery of potential measures. This funding is likely to interest 
landowners and managers and increase the chance of action taking place. 
72. When reviewing their strategy, responsible authorities should consider which potential 
measures have and have not been carried out since the previous published strategy. 
This should inform an open process of adding, removing or amending potential 
measures before republishing.  
Map areas that could become of particular importance 
73. In the final, most important stage of the strategy, responsible authorities need to map 
areas which they believe ‘could become of particular importance for biodiversity’ or 
‘where the recovery or enhancement of biodiversity could make a particular contribution 
to other environmental benefits’. These areas are collectively referred to as ‘areas that 
could become of particular importance’. They are where the responsible authority and 
local partners propose that effort should be concentrated to restore habitat, to achieve 
the most for biodiversity and the wider environment. 
74. Responsible authorities should decide how to map ‘areas that could become of 
particular importance’ by looking for locations where potential measures from the 
statement of biodiversity priorities could be carried out in a way that contributes to the 
strategy’s priorities. This enables responsible authorities to consider areas of potential 
importance for biodiversity and nature-based solutions in an integrated way.  

17 of 20 
75. This mapping should also build on the distribution of existing habitats and the areas of 
particular importance for biodiversity, which were identified at the first stage of preparing 
the local habitat map (paragraph 21). This is so that areas that could become of 
particular importance for biodiversity can be targeted to join up or expand existing areas 
of particular importance for biodiversity. This can help to establish larger, more resilient 
networks of high-quality habitat across the landscape. Areas mapped could range in 
size, from narrow linear features like proposed hedgerow locations, to much larger 
landscape-scale changes. 
76. When considering alternative feasible locations for a potential measure or different 
feasible potential measures in the same location, responsible authorities should 
consider: 
• which would have the greatest impact on achieving the priorities 
• which would achieve greater connectivity of similar biodiverse habitats across 
the landscape 
Where a potential measure could feasibly be done in many locations, responsible 
authorities should pick ones that would benefit biodiversity or the environment the most.  
77. Responsible authorities should be ambitious in proposing change but also realistic in 
the need to concentrate effort where it will have most benefit. Indiscriminate or 
widespread mapping of areas that could become of particular importance would not aid 
targeting of available resources. The proportion of each strategy area mapped for its 
potential importance will likely vary considerably depending on factors like the extent of 
existing designations and other constraints on land use.  
78. Some responsible authorities may be concerned about leaving ‘white space’ which is 
not mapped as being - or could become - of particular importance. To address this, they 
should include potential measures in their statement of biodiversity priorities that could 
be used widely across the strategy area. For example, sowing native nectar-rich 
wildflowers or planting native hedgerows. This enables the strategy to be inclusive and 
support anyone who wants to help nature recover whilst still being clear about where 
nature recovery resources should be targeted to achieve the most benefit.  
79. Responsible authorities should draw upon other relevant environmental plans, 
strategies and knowledge held by local partners about where nature conservation 
activity is already proposed, and where additional action would have most impact. They 
should identify areas that could become of particular importance for specific potential 
measures and make it clear which potential measure has been proposed in those areas.  
80. Responsible authorities may propose more than one potential measure in the same 
area. For example, where 2 or more potential measures could be carried out together, 
or where different potential measures would generate similar levels of benefit. However, 
if there is a potential measure for which a location is particularly suitable for then this 
preference should be clearly shown.  
81. Responsible authorities may wish to propose potential measures in areas mapped as 
already being of particular importance for biodiversity (rather than areas that could 
become of particular importance) to maintain or increase their importance. This may be 

18 of 20 
helpful for areas such as local wildlife sites which do not have to have management 
plans.  
82. If a responsible authority has Green Belt in their area, they should actively seek to target 
areas that could become of particular importance inside the Green Belt. This supports 
the government’s intention for Green Belts to provide multiple benefits, including nature 
recovery and increased public access to nature. Similarly, responsible authorities should 
also look for areas that could become of particular importance near to people’s homes 
to improve public access to nature, biodiversity, and environmental benefits.  
83. Not all actions for nature are compatible with increased public access, as some species 
are very sensitive to disturbance and some habitats are susceptible to degradation (for 
example, due to litter or erosion). So not every area that could become of particular 
importance will necessarily need to consider increasing public access. Defra and 
Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework may help identify where there is the 
least amount of accessible green space. 
84. National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are expected to be particularly 
suitable places for areas that could become of particular importance to be proposed. 
This reflects the increasing contribution protected landscapes are making to nature 
recovery and the opportunity to align with the existing protections these designations 
offer. 
85. Some potential measures would result in replacing one habitat type with another. 
Responsible authorities should look across the strategy area to consider how different 
habitat types’ coverage might change, to understand the potential effect on its 
biodiversity and the strategy’s priorities. 
86. For some potential measures, where and how they are carried out will affect whether 
they will be ‘biodiversity-positive’. Responsible authorities should take an inclusive 
approach, particularly for potential measures that could create substantial 
environmental benefits. They should carefully consider potential locations and include 
further information on how to carry them out to achieve biodiversity recovery or 
enhancement if necessary.  
87. Some changes in land use or management may require a separate consent before they 
can be undertaken, such as planning permission. Responsible authorities do not need 
the relevant consents to be in place before including areas that could become of 
particular importance in their local habitat map. However, they should seek to involve 
the relevant consenting bodies (for example, local planning authority, Environment 
Agency, Forestry Commission or Natural England) so they do not propose potential 
measures in locations that are unlikely to be granted consent.  
88. Responsible authorities should listen to landowners and managers’ views for land they 
are considering mapping as areas that could become of particular importance for 
biodiversity. All draft strategies must go through public consultation. Responsible 
authorities do not need to engage with all relevant landowners and managers before 
public consultation but they should invite them to participate.  
89. If the responsible authority knows that a landowner opposes a potential measure on 
their land and is very unlikely to choose to carry it out, it would be better to explore 

19 of 20 
alternatives or include other more suitable measures before public consultation. This is 
particularly important if they propose a location due to its potential to join up areas of 
habitat to create a wider network. If objections from landowners only become clear at 
public consultation, the responsible authority should try to accommodate their views 
where this does not undermine the coherence and ambition of the strategy as a whole. 
90. Responsible authorities should give specific consideration to defence interests. They 
should consult with the relevant Head of Establishment before proposing potential 
measures on or near land managed by the Ministry of Defence to confirm that the 
potential measures would be consistent with operational needs.  
91. Responsible authorities may find certain models and computer software useful to 
assess how suitable it is to carry out potential measures in different locations. They can 
also use help to understand how enhancing and creating habitat in different locations 
can connect to existing areas of habitat across the landscape. Defra may provide 
software or data analyses to help responsible authorities identify suitable locations. 
However, it is the responsible authority, working with partners, who should ultimately 
decide what potential measure to propose in what location. They should use software 
and models as a guide or a tool, but not rely on them without further consideration.  
92. The Secretary of State may identify areas that, in their opinion, could become of 
particular importance and could also contribute to a national network for nature recovery.  
If a responsible authority is informed that the Secretary of State has identified such an 
area within their strategy area, then they should include it in their local habitat map as 
being somewhere that could become of particular importance. 
93. Areas that could become of particular importance are likely to change significantly when 
responsible authorities are reviewing and republishing their strategies. This is to reflect 
where action has been taken as well as changing priorities and circumstances. In the 
republished strategies, responsible authorities can suggest the need for action in the 
same locations as before, but they should build on what action has been taken, 
especially in creating greater connectivity between areas. 
How to present the strategy 
94. Local nature recovery strategies should be practical documents that can be understood 
by a range of landowners, managers, decision makers and other interested parties. 
Responsible authorities should make the statement of biodiversity priorities concise and 
clearly structured, emphasising the priorities and the potential measures to carry these 
out. They should write and present the statement in plain English. They can provide 
supporting information with the statement if more detailed is required.  
95. The local habitat map should be simple and uncluttered. It should be easy to see those 
areas that are already of particular importance for biodiversity and those areas that could 
become of particular importance. It should be straightforward to access basic 
information about these mapped locations. For example, the name of the national 
conservation site or the potential measure proposed at an area that could become of 
particular importance.  

20 of 20 
96. Responsible authorities should only include other mapped information if it is necessary. 
They should keep the local habitat map separate and distinct from other maps created 
for other purposes. This is essential so that bodies required to use the local nature 
recovery strategy in different ways can clearly understand what they must do. For 
example, public authorities who are legally required to have regard to relevant 
strategies. 
97. Responsible authorities could use interactive software to enable users to easily find the 
most interesting or relevant information to them.  
98. Each responsible authority must provide their strategy to the government in a format 
that enables the most important information to be extracted and edited. For example the 
location and extent of areas of particular importance for biodiversity. This will help the 
government to compare or pull together information from different strategies.