Issue - meetings

This reports seeks to endorse the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) as part of City of York Council’s evidence base supporting decision-making and future plan-making.

This spatial strategy 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.

Resolved:   That the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency

                                            i.   Note the decision by North Yorkshire Council to publish the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS).

                                          ii.   Accept the LNRS, as approved, as a statutory evidence base to inform planning decisions and plan-making.

Reason:      To ensure compliance with the Environment Act 2021.

This item was Introduced by the Head of Strategic Policy Planning who explained that the Local Nature Recovery Strategy was a spatial strategy that sought to map nature recovery actions and deliver the government's England-wide nature targets, as a statutory requirement outlined in the Environment Act 2021. She explained that the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) had appointed North Yorkshire Council as the responsible authority for delivery, and they had approved it in January 2026. Since York had acted as supporting authority, and following endorsement of the draft publication version by the Council Executive last November, it was coming to this session for Executive Member approval in order to proceed.

The Design and Conservation Manager presented the item and outlined how DEFRA intended delivery to work. He noted that the responsible authority role may move from North Yorkshire Council to the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, as part of devolution developments and to channel funding. 

He advised that the Local Nature Recovery Strategy was intended to be embedded into local decision making. Strategic projects could be identified and project development facilitated, using the LNRS as a filter. Monitoring and reporting on strategic priorities would be undertaken via an embedded report phase.

The Executive Member welcomed this scheme, stating that unsurprisingly, residents supported the restoration of nature and having the LNRS as a formal strategy was particularly helpful. She said that she looked forward to hearing about the next steps from DEFRA.

With this said it was

Resolved:   That the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency

                                            i.   Note the decision by North Yorkshire Council to publish the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS).

                                          ii.   Accept the LNRS, as approved, as a statutory evidence base to inform planning decisions and plan-making.

Reason:      To ensure compliance with the Environment Act 2021.