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To submit Cheltenham Borough Council’s
response to the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy
public consultation stage.

Reasons for the decision

England is considered one of the most
nature-depleted countries in the world following historic and
ongoing declines (see State of Nature report 2023). The government
has made legally binding commitments to end these declines and for
nature to recover it will require targeted, coordinated, and
collaborative action. One of those commitments is the creation of
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) covering the whole of
England with no gaps or overlaps.

LNRS' purpose is to provide local maps of key habitats and set
priorities for recovery. Gloucestershire County Council is one of
the 48 Responsible Authorities across England to lead on preparing
a LNRS, delivering this through the Gloucestershire Local Nature
Partnership (GLNP). Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) is part of
this partnership and a Supporting Authority of the process.

Gloucestershire LNRS is subject to public consultation between 8th
September 2025 and 19th October 2025, and CBC have been invited to
make a response.

The draft LNR sets biodiversity priorities for our area, providing
measures for habitats and species that will serve as up-to-date
evidence base for both the emerging Strategic and Local Plan (SLP),
the emerging Nature Recovery Supplementary Planning Document,
emerging Tree Strategy as well as having the potential to being a
material consideration for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and nature
recovery decisions.

This is a technical officer response to the consultation and
therefore subject to an Officer Decision. Cabinet or Full Council
approval will be required later this year or early 2026 to provide
comments, raise concerns, and agree to proceed with publication of
the, once the post-public consultation process is completed by the
County Council.

Alternative options considered

Our biodiversity duty sets that we need to
proactively pursue actions with the potential to conserve and
enhance biodiversity. In accordance with the Environment Act 2021,
Cheltenham Borough Council is a Supporting Authority on the LNRS
process.

Not providing a timely response will mean Gloucestershire County
Council could decide on the LNRS without our local input as a form
of affirmative silence.