Your thoughts on a Nature Recovery Strategy for Warwickshire

As part of the development of the Warwickshire LNRS, we conducted an online survey to gather public input. We asked residents, businesses, and organizations across the county to share their thoughts and ideas on how to best protect and improve Warwickshire's natural environment.

Response: We received a good response (568) to the LNRS engagement survey, primarily from Warwickshire residents and some Coventry and Solihull respondents. While most respondents identified as members of the public, a good number of local organisations also participated. The survey highlighted positive engagement and a general desire to improve nature and wildlife in Warwickshire and highlighted areas for improvement regarding public awareness and addressing certain priorities.

Key Findings:

• Strong Support for 30by30 Target: Nearly 80% of respondents supported achieving at least 30% of land in good environmental management by 2030, aligning with the national 30by30 target.
  More information on the 30by30 in England target
• Public Priorities: The public identified improvements to water quality, protecting wildlife areas, and creating bigger and better-connected habitats as top short-term priorities. Soil and sediment health were highlighted for mid-term, and species reintroductions and protection as the long-term focus.
• Awareness and Education: Only around a third of participants were familiar with the Local Nature Partnership (LNP). Education and learning were seen as crucial for encouraging action.
• Species and Habitat Concerns: Wildflowers and hedgerows were identified as species and habitats most in need of improvement, amongst others.
• Habitat Loss: Respondents overwhelmingly attributed natural environment decline to habitat loss.
• Landowner Engagement: The survey found many landowners actively seeking to improve the environment with many already doing so.
• Appropriate environmental maintenance/management: amongst other habitats management of verges and hedges, including initiatives like ‘no mow may’ were frequently referred to.
• Role of governance – Parish & District Councils, Local government, central government.

Other: Additional recurring themes included concerns about development impact (e.g., HS2, housing), wildlife care practices, water pollution a collaborative effort between communities and governments.

Our next steps are:

This valuable feedback will inform the development of the LNRS, including:

• The Key and Emerging Themes will be used to help develop our key principles and priorities for the Strategy. Any specific actions suggested will be reviewed with the specialist working groups and included into the strategy where appropriate.
• Locations identified as ‘locations that are particularly important for wildlife in your local area’ will be reviewed and incorporated where appropriate into the mapping element of the strategy.

All species and habitats mentioned in the engagement survey have been included in the shortlist of species and habitats, which the specialist working group is looking at to identify which of these species should be ‘priority’ species.

For more information please visit the Local Nature Partnership's Nature Recovery Strategy webpage (click here).