Taking root: the promise and challenge of local authority-led nature restoration

Earlier this year, the British Academy – the UK’s national academy for the humanities and the social sciences – issued a call for discussion papers on ‘place-sensitive understandings of nature recovery in the UK’. Reflecting our belief that this discussion paper series would benefit from a local government perspective, LGIU successfully submitted a proposal for a paper on local authority-led nature restoration. Authored by Dan Godley, Researcher at LGIU, the full paper is linked below. The following article offers a more concise summary of the report’s findings.

Rooted in conversations with individuals at the forefront of local authority-led nature restoration efforts and supplemented by desk-based research, this discussion paper examines local nature restoration efforts occurring both within and external to England’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) framework. This framework was developed by the UK Government in 2021 and mandated that 48 responsible authorities across England – mainly local authorities – draft local strategies to facilitate nature recovery. An LNRS comprises:

1. A statement on biodiversity priorities.
2. Maps of the most valuable existing areas for nature.
3. Mapped proposals for creating or improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals.

First, considering Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly’s LNRS, the paper explores the importance and challenge of public engagement within the framework. The paper then considers three local authority-led restoration initiatives occurring outside the framework: the Levern Water restoration in East Renfrewshire; the Making Space for Nature scheme in Cornwall; and the strategic planning for nature approach in Fingal.

Summary:

1. Local authorities are uniquely positioned to lead a truly place-based wave of nature restoration. This potential is evident both within and outside formal frameworks for nature recovery.
2. Early, sustained and inclusive public engagement is essential to unlocking the potential of local authority-led nature restoration. Strategic partnerships with other local organisations are also critical assets.
3. In the pursuit of place-based nature restoration, some local authorities benefit from greater institutional support, streamlined governance, and limited disruption from local government reforms. Others face additional challenges.
4. Short-term, insufficient and uncertain funding constrains the potential of local authority-led nature restoration.
5. Exclusively terrestrial statutory scopes for nature restoration can preclude delivery on local demands where marine ecosystems are priorities. This could erode trust in local governance.

Policy recommendations for local governments:

1. Local governments should consult the public early and throughout nature restoration efforts, from planning to completion.
2. Local governments should adopt a multi-level approach to public engagement, reflecting the need to understand nature restoration priorities across different spatial scales.
3. Local governments should use a wide range of engagement methods, reflecting the diverse requirements and preferences of different stakeholders.
4. Local governments should develop and enhance strategic partnerships for a co-production approach to nature restoration.

Policy recommendations for national governments:

1. National governments should provide additional support and flexibility to local authorities that face additional challenges in nature restoration.
2. National governments should support the development and enhancement of council-university partnerships and other local partnerships in nature restoration.
3. National governments should commit to long-term, well-resourced, and stable nature recovery agendas.
4. National governments should fully empower local authorities to deliver on local restoration priorities, regardless of statutory scope, particularly in relation to local marine nature restoration.

Read the full paper here

Acknowledgements:

Sincere thanks are due to the British Academy for funding this discussion paper, the editors and peer reviewers for their constructive feedback, and my colleagues at LGIU for their additional comments. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the individuals at Cornwall Council, Devon County Council, Fingal County Council, and East Renfrewshire Council, whose insights made this paper possible.