Frequently Asked Questions

  • Local Nature Recovery Strategies are new statutory spatial plans underpinning the National Nature Recovery Network, produced by forty-eight responsible authorities in England. The Isle of Wight is one such area, and its strategy covers the whole of the land surface and the intertidal zone to the administrative limit of the Isle of Wight Council, a total area of 393 km²

    The strategies are a requirement introduced by the Environment Act 2021 intended to reverse the decline of biodiversity and improve ecological connectivity and functionality across the landscapes of England.

    Each LNRS discusses the priorities for nature recovery in its area, working with local stakeholders to explore the opportunities where they feel a positive change for wildlife and wider environmental benefits can best be delivered. 

  • Although it helps to inform the Island’s planning system, for both applicants and officers, the LNRS does not designate or allocate land in planning terms. In other words, the LNRS does not create any new kinds of environmental protection or designation in policy or law.

    The LNRS does provide a comprehensive set of evidence-based habitat and species priorities for nature recovery, set out in both overarching, Island-wide guidance (unmapped measures), and in more site-specific information (mapped measures).

    If you are making a planning application, you should use the LNRS to help you with the technical reporting that is ordinarily required. For example, showing how local nature recovery priorities that apply to your location have been incorporated into your ecology and landscape submissions will be anticipated and expected by the new Island Planning Strategy, but the LNRS does this preliminary work for you, by reducing the scope of speculative survey required and helping you to focus on the essential features at an early stage. This can in turn help to speed up the process of planning decision-making.

    Mapped areas shown in the LNRS will benefit from a 15% uplift in the value of any transactions or agreements that a landowner undertakes where Biodiversity Net Gain is required as part of the planning application. The LNRS will also help to support other kinds of funding opportunity, for environmental projects, farm-based schemes, and the emerging financial sectors of Science-Based, Place-Based, and Nature and Climate-Related Investment linked to our UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve status.

    The Isle of Wight Council’s view is that LNRS is a positive and useful resource that will help applicants and planning officers to work together to see the best results for nature recovery achieved. There is no desire to see it used in a negative or obstructive way, to prevent projects coming forward or to exclude land that might otherwise be considered for development. Compliance with up to date adopted planning policies will remain the starting point when considering whether land is appropriate for development.

    To reiterate, the LNRS does not create any new planning policy constraints to development, rather it provides a common set of guidelines and specifications for nature recovery available to all applicants that can simply be transferred into the normal process of scheme design and evaluation.

  • 1. LNRS is Not a Legal Designation

    • Being mapped within the LNRS does not impose any new legal restrictions on land use.

    • It is a strategic and advisory tool aimed at guiding funding and support for nature recovery.

    2. Potential Funding & Incentives

    • Inclusion in an LNRS area could mean access to funding and grants for conservation-friendly farming, woodland creation, or biodiversity projects.

    • Environmental schemes such as the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, Landscape Recovery, or private investment in biodiversity net gain (BNG) may offer financial incentives.

    3. Land Use Flexibility Remains

    • The LNRS does not override planning permissions or existing land management rights.

    • Landowners retain the ability to farm, develop, or manage their land as before, subject to existing laws.

    4. Voluntary Participation

    • Any involvement in conservation actions within the LNRS is voluntary, unless tied to specific agreements the landowner chooses to enter.

    5. Positive Land Value Implications

    • Properties in areas identified for nature recovery could increase in value due to demand for land eligible for biodiversity net gain projects or carbon offset schemes.

  • Although it helps to inform the Island’s planning system, for both applicants and officers, the LNRS does not designate or allocate land in planning terms. In other words, the LNRS does not create any new kinds of environmental protection or designation in policy or law.

    The LNRS does provide a comprehensive set of evidence-based habitat and species priorities for nature recovery, set out in both overarching, Island-wide guidance (unmapped measures), and in more site-specific information (mapped measures).

    If you are making a planning application, you should use the LNRS to help you with the technical reporting that is ordinarily required. For example, showing how local nature recovery priorities that apply to your location have been incorporated into your ecology and landscape submissions will be anticipated and expected by the new Island Planning Strategy, but the LNRS does this preliminary work for you, by reducing the scope of speculative survey required and helping you to focus on the essential features at an early stage. This can in turn help to speed up the process of planning decision-making.

    Mapped areas shown in the LNRS will benefit from a 15% uplift in the value of any transactions or agreements that a landowner undertakes where Biodiversity Net Gain is required as part of the planning application. The LNRS will also help to support other kinds of funding opportunity, for environmental projects, farm-based schemes, and the emerging financial sectors of Science-Based, Place-Based, and Nature and Climate-Related Investment linked to our UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve status.

    The Isle of Wight Council’s view is that LNRS is a positive and useful resource that will help applicants and planning officers to work together to see the best results for nature recovery achieved. There is no desire to see it used in a negative or obstructive way, to prevent projects coming forward or to exclude land that might otherwise be considered for development. Compliance with up to date adopted planning policies will remain the starting point when considering whether land is appropriate for development.

    To reiterate, the LNRS does not create any new planning policy constraints to development, rather it provides a common set of guidelines and specifications for nature recovery available to all applicants that can simply be transferred into the normal process of scheme design and evaluation.

  • The LNRS will provide a set of agreed priorities for nature recovery, with measures to deliver these. As a spatially framed strategy for nature, it will focus action to where its most needed and/or where it will deliver the greatest benefits.

    It will do this through:

    Planning: The LNRS will have a statutory role in influencing all tiers of planning, with the express requirement that strategic development, minerals and waste, neighbourhood and local plans must all take account of any local nature recovery strategy that relates to all or part of the local planning authority’s area.

    Development management: The LNRS will highlight where developers can most effectively fulfil their mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain duties, which requires them to deliver a 10% uplift in biodiversity. Whilst in some cases, BNG will be delivered onsite as a designed component of new developments, a large proportion will be better sought offsite, and the LNRS will pinpoint where the most biodiversity gains can meaningfully be achieved through nature recovery actions.

    Nature-based solutions: Nature-based solutions (NbS) are where we work with nature to address societal challenges – such as restoring saltmarshes to sequester carbon, building leaky dams or to regulate water flow and manage flooding in times of increased rainfall, or planting trees in urban environments to reduce ambient temperatures and improve air quality. The LNRS aims to identify where nature recovery action can also deliver NbS to the greatest benefit of the county.

    New Projects and Partnerships: The LNRS is all about supporting and informing new work for nature across the broadest spectrum of organizations, communities and individuals possible. There is a wealth of ecological and environmental data freely available to anyone wanting to get involved and we will be continuing to add useful information to those resources to help with practical conservation work, fundraising, education, community development and enterprise. 

  • A great deal of work for wildlife has already taken place on the Island, especially through the work of the Isle of Wight Biodiversity Action Partnership (IWBAP). This produced eight Habitat Action Plans (HAPs) in 2 revisions between 2000 and 2021, along with strategic support for projects and programmes and position statements on key Island issues. This work was invaluable in steering biodiversity action and coordinating efforts, but it had no statutory footing and limited influence. As determined by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill amendments from September 2023, Local Nature Recovery Strategies now have a statutory role in influencing all tiers of planning, with the express requirement that strategic development, minerals and waste, neighbourhood and local plans must all take account of Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

    Furthermore, the LNRS is not determined by local authority policy but is a requirement of the Environment Act 2021. The strategy is less likely therefore to be undermined or usurped by a change in local policy direction or governance.

    Unlike previous biodiversity plans, this is the first time an environmental strategy will require every part of England to coordinate their efforts to create a joined-up strategic network, with the intention of reaping the maximum benefits for nature recovery possible. The LNRS has been developed using a ground-up approach, influenced and informed by extensive and diverse stakeholder engagement.

    A key priority of the strategy is for it to be practical and deliverable. Central to this will be the involvement of delivery partners in its development. But also, the LNRS will guide and inform the very funding streams and investments central to the delivery of nature recovery. The LNRS will directly relate to the strategic significance multiplier in the biodiversity net gain metric. The priorities and mapped areas of the strategy will influence environmental land management schemes and other government grant allocations. It also anticipated that other funding bodies will use the LNRS in their assessment of bids and applications.

  • The Local Nature Recovery Strategy is designed to work closely with Local Plans to ensure that biodiversity and sustainable development are prioritised within land use planning. Local Plans, which are statutory documents prepared by local planning authorities, set out the policies and proposals for guiding development and managing growth within a specific area.

    To achieve shared goals for biodiversity enhancement and habitat creation, Local Plans and the LNRS should aim to align their objectives and policies. Local Planning Authorities are required by LNRS regulations to “take account” of their LNRS when making planning decisions. This means that Local Plans should aim to incorporate specific actions and recommendations from the LNRS into their land use policies, such as designating areas for habitat restoration and integrating green infrastructure to support nature recovery.

    Additionally, Local Plans should integrate the spatial planning considerations outlined in the LNRS, including the identification and protection of key wildlife habitats, ecological corridors and biodiversity hotspots highlighted in the APIB map. The LNRS also identifies strategic opportunity sites that could serve as off-site locations for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) when on-site delivery is not feasible. This ensures that BNG habitat is created as close to the development site as possible and within strategically important areas.

  • The Isle of Wight Biodiversity Partnership (operational for over 20 years) operates as the LNRS Steering Group and includes representation from a wide range of stakeholders representing community, environmental, economic and cultural Island interests, including the National Landscapes teams, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, BTO, NFU, Natural England, CLA, Wight Rural Hub, Environmental Farmers Group, National Trust and others. In addition to the steering group, hundreds of Island organisations and individuals have taken the opportunity to contribute to developing priorities and measures (actions) for Island nature.

    Natural England is a Supporting Authority for each LNRS across England, and they support the Isle of Wight in interpreting the national regulations and guidance that come with the LNRS and ensuring consistency with other strategy areas. This is especially important in relation to Hampshire, as our LNRS documents share the coastal and marine environment of the Solent.

  • 30 by 30 or 30x30 is a global target to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030. It was agreed at COP15 in 2022 (link to GOV.UK).

    The LNRS can help local areas highlight and celebrate land already contributing to this target and identify new opportunities across the Island which could also contribute to 30% of our land, rivers and seas being well-managed for nature by 2030.

  • The Government has committed to funding any new burdens for responsibilities mandated under the Environment Act 2021. The development of this first iteration of the LNRS is 100% funded through a Government S31 grant to the Isle of Wight County Council.

  • Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a policy that aims to make sure developments have a measurable positive impact on biodiversity compared to what was there prior to the development. Developers must deliver a biodiversity net gain of 10%, and if this cannot be accomplished ‘on site’, the developer must in the first instance fund habitat improvement in the local area through purchasing biodiversity units. The payment for biodiversity units covers the management and maintenance costs for a minimum of 30 years and is paid to the landowner of the related site.

    BNG became mandatory for larger developments as of 12th February 2024.

    The LNRS maps will highlight areas in communities where nature recovery will be most effective and suggest the most appropriate actions to deliver. The LNRS maps determine the BNG ‘strategic significance’ multiplier (15% uplift) within the biodiversity metric. Through this, developers will be incentivised to target delivery of offsite BNG in areas identified within the LNRS. The LNRS maps can help identify the best habitats to be created in those areas. If you want to use your land to sell biodiversity units, the LNRS maps can support you with decisions around which habitats are most suitable.

  • Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) will help direct future nature recovery effort and funding across the UK. The Isle of Wight Local Nature Recovery Strategy will assist in highlighting nature recovery opportunities for you and your land, with enhanced access to funding and signposting to further opportunities.

    Biodiversity Net Gain will direct funding into areas that will deliver the greatest benefits to nature, using the strategic opportunity mapping within the LNRS. The strategic significance multiplier within the biodiversity metric favours land that is mapped by the LNRS ACB layer (Areas that Could be Important for Biodiversity).

    The strategies also open up conversations for enabling business diversification and developing climate change resilience.

    Landowners, managers and farmers know their land better than anyone. They are vital stakeholders as they own or manage much of the Island where opportunities to recover nature will be found.

    It is crucial that the LNRS priorities and actions to guide nature’s recovery are informed and supported by local people. We have been reaching out to local landowners, land managers and farmers in lots of different ways to find out what opportunities they see on their land, and what they may have done already or are considering.

    Whilst we hope that our farmers and landowners will get involved, engage with the LNRS and use it once it is published, the LNRS will not affect you if you do not wish it to.

    • Guiding public and private funding, e.g., Farming in Protected Landscapes, Biodiversity Net Gain, English Woodland Creation Offer, Environmental Land Management Schemes and other natural capital investment

    • Identifying where joining up places can help nature thrive

    • Informing the planning process

    • Identifying the best locations for investment in natural capital and guide options to diversify farm income 

    • Helping guide farm advisors and intermediaries to provide support for farmers

    • Identifying neighbours with similar environmental opportunities to support landscape-scale initiatives

    • Identifying where and how to use nature-based solutions to support ecosystems, meaning cleaner water, cleaner air, healthier soils, flood prevention, carbon sequestration, reducing risks and hazards which could affect the food supply chain.

  • The LNRS is intended as a strategic tool, so it will not tell you what you can or can’t do with your land. It is a guide, a set of options, and not a prescription.

    The LNRS will not dictate actions on land as detailed in paragraph 4 of the statutory LNRS guidance.

    It does not look to take agricultural land out of food production but finds where food production and nature can work hand in hand, supporting high nature-value farming practice and revenue.

    The LNRS does not result in new designations of land.

    In some cases, the LNRS may highlight landscape-scale opportunities for nature recovery. Landowners will not be required to implement these recommendations but may choose to explore the funding available for delivery with their neighbours. Active engagement in the LNRS in this way remains optional.

    It will not replace farm visits, good site surveys and project planning.

  • The LNRS itself will not directly impact what you do with your land, as it is a strategy to help inform future nature recovery. The opportunity mapping is for guidance and to highlight a range of options.

     Local Nature Recovery Strategies will:

    • Enable farmers and land managers to better understand/determine if there are actions that would have particular benefit in their areas – and therefore which funding schemes might be best suited to them through environmental land management schemes

    • Help farmers/land managers to work together across areas and join-up actions to help improve connectivity of habitats, for example through a farm cluster group

    • Be a useful resource to inform and support applications for funding

    • Be the drive for the government to explore increasing alignment between funding initiatives and the strategies.

  • Thank you for being a champion for nature on your land! We absolutely recognise the brilliant work people are doing caring for, and about, the natural environment. We are aware too of the increasing commitment to help nature within the community. 

    We also know that nature is still in trouble, with many species in decline. Our aim is that the mapping and strategy will both highlight areas already working for nature, and signpost to where the opportunities are. One way that those already working for nature can use the strategy is to explore the opportunity maps and see if what you are already doing matches the suggestions made by the mapping. For example, it may be that by making a few changes to what you are already doing, you can help to support a species that relies on a certain habitat. The opportunity maps are there to help us all to deliver the best interventions for nature in the best places.

    We hope that by raising awareness of the strategy, everyone understands what is happening and how it relates to their land. You may decide that this is not something that is useful to you now, but at a later date it may be that you would like to take a look and see the suggestions that apply to your land.

    The LNRS must also be reviewed with each iteration, therefore capturing action already underway is crucial to informing the next version, and monitoring what has been done. Understanding what is underway is also useful to support future action by providing example case studies and best practice - so please get in touch and let us know what action is currently being taken. 

  • It is up to you and your landlord to decide if you would like to put any of the LNRS and opportunity map’s suggestions in place. Taking action for nature can be difficult for tenants due to the contractual nature of their tenancy agreements. However, this is being recognised by the Government. In May, government made a commitment to ensure tenants are at the heart of plans to improve the rural economy. Recent changes to SFI include enabling tenants to apply without landlord consent and to sign up to shorter, three-year agreements which can be ended without penalty.

  • Not if you don’t want to, the strategy and map are suggested ways to enhance nature. Whilst they are based on the best evidence, they support rather than replace the knowledge you have of your land. You can choose another way to help recover nature or choose to farm / manage land as you have done previously in that area.

  • The LNRS is informed by existing regulations, policies and datasets that outline where plant protection products (PPPs) should be limited. The LNRS may recommend reduced use of the PPPs you use on your farm, especially in sensitive areas, but it won’t be compulsory beyond the existing regulations. 

  • There is no suggestion from Defra that the actions mapped will become compulsory. The LNRS must be formally adopted by the Isle of Wight Council after public consultation. If the intended use of the maps was to change, then this would also need to go through public consultation before being adopted. 

  • Of course. The strategy and mapping will suggest how to aid nature most effectively in an area based on evidence and is a guide for landowner choice. If you have something different in mind, that is fine, although it is important to think about whether what you plan to do is counterproductive, for example, that you are not looking to plant woodland where heathland would be the most nature-friendly solution. If you are unsure, please speak to your farm advisor for guidance. 

  • Delivery of the LNRS is only going to be possible through a collective effort by local residents, businesses, farms, land managers, schools, organisations and industry. All Public Authorities in England now have a strengthened ‘biodiversity duty’ to conserve and enhance biodiversity as set out in the Environment Act. All public authorities must also “have regard for the LNRS” and this includes councils at every level, utility companies, highways partnerships and many other commercial interests involved in public works. For example, parks, gardens, cemeteries, communal areas and all amenity green spaces will have their part to play in nature recovery.

  • National Landscapes are increasingly contributing to nature recovery, and so it is expected that National Landscapes will be particularly suitable places where nature will thrive. However, the LNRS covers the whole of the Island.

    The Isle of Wight National Landscape has produced a new management plan which you can find here: https://isleofwight-nl.org.uk/discover-learn/iw-aonb-management-plan/ You can contact the National Landscape team to find out what additional support may be available in your area.

  • The Government’s Agricultural Transition Plan has recently been updated and now states: "We will support greater coordination between our schemes and Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS). Between now and 2025, local authorities will work with landowners, land managers and farmers across the country to develop LNRS by identifying and mapping the most important actions for nature recovery in their areas. As LNRS become available across England, we will explore join up between funding initiatives and LNRS."

  • There are a few options when looking to get an income to support nature on your farm, and even ways to provide a long-term income from areas dedicated to nature.

    ELMS are available to landowners and provide financial support for those who wish to manage land for nature, and at an entry level SFI payments are there to enable land owners to do so and, if applicable, continue to support food production. For more ambitious projects, Countryside Stewardship payments enable landowners to be funded for more enhanced nature recovery whilst, if applicable, allowing them to keep food production as a priority.

    Alternatively, Biodiversity Net Gain and payments for ecosystem services (such as being paid for natural flood defence through the upstream thinking fund), can provide a long-term income from land used for nature recovery.

  • Wight Rural Hub is a free central resource for farmers on the Isle of Wight; find out more about it here. The Future Farm Resilience funding programme has been set up by Government to provide free 1:1 advice to help plan your farm’s future during this difficult transition period. To find a list of advisors who work in your area, click here. 

  • If you are interested in being a seller of biodiversity units, then it is up to you to implement this. You can find out more information here. 

    If a developer is interested in offsite BNG, and your land is identified as an opportunity area in our LNRS maps, then it is possible that an interested party could approach you.

    It is important to note that farmers’ and landowners’ contact details will not be released, so any interactions regarding BNG will be between the landowner and the developer or third party.

  • The Isle of Wight Local Nature Recovery Strategy will:

    • Agree collective priorities for nature

    • Map existing areas that are important for nature and biodiversity

    • Map opportunities for creating and improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals using best available evidence and local knowledge

    • Help support nature within the planning system and development

    • Link with Biodiversity Net Gain and other funding sources.

  • The LNRS comprises mapped measures (specific locations where action can be carried out) and unmapped measures (actions which would benefit nature across the Island). The unmapped measures are a useful place to start when deciding what to do on your land to benefit nature. 

    Also, you do not have to stick to the mapped areas; anywhere you can provide nature-friendly areas on your land is a bonus to wildlife.

  • Following publication, DEFRA will be appointing evaluation specialists to support with establishing how success is measured. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will announce when all local nature recovery strategies across England must be reviewed. Responsible Authorities will then publish updated strategies. This process must happen every 3 to 10 years. Reviewing and publishing strategies is a core part of the Responsible Authority role, which the Government has committed to fund. It is essential for enabling local nature recovery strategies to play an important role in driving nature’s recovery. These reviews will be issued by the Secretary of State with 4 months’ notice, and occur simultaneously across the country, in order to ensure that LNRS efforts remain coordinated.

    Source: Nature recovery frequently asked questions (FAQs) – January 2023 | Local Government Association

    Currently, the Responsible Authorities in England are awaiting guidance from Defra for how monitoring should be undertaken (January 2nd, 2025).

  • As with the LNRS, the maps will be updated every 3-10 years. Exactly when this will be is determined by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

  • Policy context and other information provided by the Government and others on what the LNRS is can be found via the links below. 

    Introduction of LNRS in the Environment Act: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/341/made

    LNRS Statutory Guidance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6421a4bdfe97a8001379ecf1/Local_nature_recovery_strategy_statutory_guidance.pdf

    LNRS policy paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-nature-recovery-strategies/local-nature-recovery-strategies

    LNRS and Biodiversity Net Gain government blog: https://defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2023/11/07/incorporating-local-nature-recovery-strategies-when-planning-for-biodiversity-net-gain/

    LNRS FAQs from Planning Advisory Service (PAS): https://www.local.gov.uk/pas/topics/environment/nature-recovery-local-authorities/local-nature-recovery-strategies/FAQs-August_2023

    CLA Guide to the LNRS: https://www.cla.org.uk/news/your-guide-to-local-nature-recovery-strategies/

    NFU LNRS essential information: https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/local-nature-recovery-strategies-essential-information/