New strategy aims to help nature recover in Shropshire

Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Councils have published their Local Nature Recovery Strategy, reports Shropshire Live.

David Walker, the Liberal Democrat run Shropshire Council's cabinet member with responsibility for planning, tells the radio station:

"Nature underpins everyday life, from clean air and water to the green spaces that support our health and wellbeing, yet many species and habitats across Shropshire are still in decline.

"This strategy sets out a shared, locally‑led approach to turning that around. It’s about bringing councils, landowners, organisations and communities together to deliver real, practical improvements for nature. I’d like to thank everyone who contributed and the whole team who have pulled together such an excellent piece of work. The focus now is on turning this ambition into action on the ground."

An LNRS sets out proposals to help recover nature and improve the wider environment, but doesn't give anyone extra statutory powers to make change happen.

You can read the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin LNRS on the Shropshire Council website and the BBC News report is worth reading too:

Dave Cragg, from Natural England, said "there's a lot that needs to be done" to address "the global biodiversity crisis".

In Shropshire, "there are definitely places where it is really good", Cragg said, noting the county's nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

The diversity of Shropshire's nature makes it special, he added, recalling "those brilliant hills, the Stiperstones, the Long Mynd" as well as "bogs, fens, and a brilliant river system".

"It's got a bit of everything really."