This briefing discusses a decision regarding the publication of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy ¹. Louise May, Director of Place and Environment, made the decision, which was then communicated to the councillors. Councillors were asked to consider the strategy and decide whether to raise any objections to its publication.

Publication of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Kent County Council (KCC) was appointed as the responsible authority to lead on the preparation of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). Dover District Council has been a supporting authority, helping to shape the LNRS by providing local data and reviewing drafts.

The final LNRS is divided into four parts:

• Part 1 provides background information and explains the strategy's intentions, including how it will influence local planning, planning decisions, and biodiversity net gain².
• Part 2 describes the natural landscape of Kent and Medway, identifies protected areas, and explains what makes the area's nature special. It also examines changes to habitats and species, identifies pressures and threats, and describes nature recovery opportunities.
• Part 3 outlines the overarching principles for nature recovery in Kent and Medway, the vision for nature recovery, and how priorities and measures align with the strategy's principles. It also provides guidance on using potential measures and mapping to inform nature recovery. The principles are described as 'bigger, better, more and joined up' .

• Part 4 contains the Local Habitat Map, including:

  • Areas identified as being of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (APIB);
  • Locations where potential measures have been proposed;
  • Location and extent of Areas that Could become of Importance for Biodiversity (ACIB).

Each supporting authority was asked to review the LNRS and return a publication advisory notice if they:

a. consider that part of the final LNRS cannot be justified based on the results of the consultation and/or

b. consider that the final LNRS is materially deficient.

It was noted that Dover District Council (DDC) submitted detailed comments on the draft LNRS during the consultation phase. While KCC positively responded to most comments, some mapping changes requested by DDC were not implemented because the methodology applies across the whole of Kent and Medway.

For example, DDC requested that the most-dense parts of the Dover urban area should be excluded from the mapped 'Area that Could become of particular Importance for Biodiversity' (ACIB). This was because the influence of typography on biodiversity close to an urban area is unusual in Kent, and the methodology was not changed in response to the comments of DDC.

However, the main report contains a section titled: 'A note on the Strategy's potential measures mapping and its limitations', which includes the following two identified limitations:

Mapping indicates areas where the potential measures could be delivered. In some instances, these are wide ranging areas, in others they are specific areas depending on the mapping capability. In all cases, the mapped areas are indicative.

The strategic nature of this document means that some measures may not be relevant or appropriate when considered in detail at the local level."

It was recommended that Dover District Council confirm in writing that it is content for the LNRS to be published and does not provide a publication advisory notice.