PLANNING TO PUT NATURE FIRST

Putting nature first: Leader of Derbyshire County Council Cllr Barry Lewis, pictured second left, and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment Cllr Carolyn Renwick, third from right, at the Local Nature Recovery Strategy conference with delegates Dr Eleanor Atkins from the University of Derby, second right, and students Temitayo Abiodun, left, Sasha Foden, third from left, Abigail Yates, centre, and Emmanuel Abiona, right

Efforts to protect and prioritise nature were the subject of discussion at the first Derbyshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy Conference hosted by Derbyshire County Council at County Hall in Matlock on Monday (29 January).

More than 100 delegates including local farming, environmental, wildlife and biodiversity experts met to discuss working together on a plan called the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

The council is one of 48 councils across the country selected by Government to lead the strategy locally, to map the location and condition of Derbyshire’s habitats and identify where biodiversity is in decline or limited in ecosystem value.

The strategy will also set out the long-term vision and action plan for local organisations, businesses, landowners and the public to work together to improve the natural environment across Derbyshire – including Derby and the area of the Peak District National Park within the county.

Speakers at the event included Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby; Natural England advisors Rosie East and Sami Lawson; Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s Matt Buckler and Andrew Critchlow, Derbyshire County Adviser for the National Farmers Union.

Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, who chaired the event, said: “When nature thrives, we all benefit. By working in partnership with local residents, groups, businesses, landowners and other organisations we can focus and co-ordinate all our efforts to help nature flourish, which in turn will help to address three of the biggest challenges we face: biodiversity loss, climate change and wellbeing.

“There have been some really interesting and productive discussions today which is a great start and we look forward to opening up wider discussions with our communities as part of the process to build a Local Nature Recovery Strategy later in the year.”

For more information about plans to put together a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Derbyshire visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/lnrs