Local nature recovery strategies are a system of spatial strategies for nature and environmental improvement required by law under the Environment Act. Our local nature recovery strategy will allow us to develop a shared ambition to recover nature across Oxfordshire, helping wildlife to flourish, improving the quality of our air and water, and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
In Oxfordshire, the OLNP is working closely with Oxfordshire County Council (the responsible authority) and many other partners to ensure our LNRS delivers the
best possible outcomes for nature. To do this, we helped engage all relevant stakeholders, particularly those who will be the main deliverers and funders (ie community groups, farmers/landowners, and businesses)as early in the process as possible. This engagement took place over three phases – initial information gathering (>1,000 people engaged), delivery of a webinar, and formal consultation on the draft strategy, which received over 2,000 responses. Our 2023 and 2024 annual Forum events also focussed on the LNRS. These were both attended by over 80 people, to ensure broad support and engagement with the creation and adoption of the strategy.
The draft LNRS includes documents that list the biodiversity priorities we want to achieve in the county, a list of species to focus recovery efforts on, and a map tool which shows the areas where the LNRS is recommending that local people and organisations focus their resources to undertake habitat creation and improvement work.
The consultation responses are being analysed. The LNRS team (a partnership of organisations) is now collaborating with the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery to compile the thousands of responses into a public report. We will then adjust the strategy (documents and map) accordingly and report on the changes. The strategy will then go through scrutiny by Oxfordshire's Local Authorities.
The OLNP has called for a clear narrative vision for Oxfordshire's nature, and a strong focus on wider environmental benefits, particularly social equity and climate resilience.
The final strategy is expected to be adopted in Autumn 2025.
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