North Yorkshire and York Local Nature Recovery Strategy consultation

Background

North Yorkshire Council is the responsible authority for the preparation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for North Yorkshire and York. This public consultation allows you to provide your views on the draft strategy, before it is published towards the end of 2025. We previously carried out an online survey in late 2023 into early 2024 and the responses received have informed the development of the draft strategy and are referenced as part of this consultation.

Under the Environment Act 2021, every county in England must produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

The strategy is intended to drive nature recovery, along with associated environmental benefits. 

Its main purpose is to identify appropriate actions and suitable locations to enhance existing habitats or create new habitats, where this is most likely to provide the greatest benefits for nature and the wider environment. 

The strategy must:

• agree priorities for nature’s recovery
• map the most valuable existing areas for nature
• map specific proposals for enhancing or creating habitat for nature, along with wider environmental goals

The strategy does not force landowners or land managers to make any changes or undertake any actions on the land that they own or manage. It also does not grant any additional protections or change existing protections and restrictions. 

Instead, the strategy seeks to drive collaborative, coordinated action for nature by setting out the most beneficial priorities and measures (actions) to enhance and create habitat, and identify where these could be carried out to have the greatest positive impact.

How to respond

1. Read the Local Nature Recovery Strategy documents

Read some or all of the strategy documents below. We suggest starting with document 1, which provides an overview and summary of the strategy. For further information on the detail of the strategy, please see documents 2, 3 and 4:

 Document 1: Thriving Nature in North Yorkshire and York - Short Summary (pdf / 4 MB)
 Document 2: Thriving Nature in North Yorkshire and York - Our Local Nature Recovery Strategy (pdf / 8 MB)
 Document 3: Statement of Biodiversity Priorities part 1 - Description of Our Strategy Area (pdf / 2 MB)
 Document 4: Statement of Biodiversity Priorities part 2 - Priorities and Measures (pdf / 1 MB)

2. Complete the consultation survey

Complete our online consultation survey 
Optional: if you would also like to make detailed comments on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy documentation, or the online Local Habitat Map, please  download and complete the detailed feedback form (docx / 172 KB).

3. Explore the Local Habitat Map for North Yorkshire and York 

Our nature network, the Local Habitat Map, provides a vision for this first step of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy with the ambition to create a comprehensive and connected nature network across North Yorkshire and York. The Local Habitat Map includes two key elements:

• existing core sites - Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (APIBs)
• potential nature recovery areas - Areas that Could Become of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (ACBs)

View and add your comments to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy Local Habitat Map

When accessing the map please refer to the  Local Habitat Map user guide (pdf / 3 MB).

This consultation will close on Monday 11 August 2025.

For further information on various aspects of the strategy please see the appendices.