Issue - decisions

Decision
Executive in November 2025 delegated authority to the Director of City Development, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, to respond to North Yorkshire Council as the Responsible Authority within the statutory 28-day period following their issue of the Publication draft LNRS.

The Publication draft of the LNRS was provided by North Yorkshire Council (NYC) on 7 November 2025, initiating the statutory 28 day consultation period for City of York Council to respond.

Officers have reviewed the LNRS documents and the decision is to confirm to NYC our support of the publication of the final LNRS.

Background
The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is a spatial strategy that seeks to map nature recovery actions and deliver the Governments England-wide nature targets. They are a statutory requirement as set out by the Environment Act 2021 as a new system of spatial strategies for nature throughout England.

The LNRS is designed as a mechanism to drive more coordinated, practical and focussed action to help restore, join and halt nature decline. Each Strategy will, for the area that it covers:
• 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

North Yorkshire Council (NYC) was appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as the ‘Responsible Authority’ for York and North Yorkshire, and City of York Council as a ‘Supporting Authority’.