Local Nature Partnerships

Local Nature Partnerships
Name	Local Nature Partnerships
Type	Voluntary partnership network
Founded	2012
Region	England
Focus	Biodiversity, ecosystems, green infrastructure
Parent organization	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Local Nature Partnerships

Local Nature Partnerships were established in England in 2012 to align investment in natural capital and coordinate action across public bodies, private sector actors, and civil society. They operate alongside statutory bodies such as Natural England and engage with regional entities including Local Enterprise Partnerships and county councils to support landscape-scale projects, ecosystem restoration, and nature-based solutions. Their formation followed national reform agendas epitomised by the Natural Environment White Paper and intersected with initiatives like the Biodiversity 2020 strategy and the Green Infrastructure Framework.

History and background

Local Nature Partnerships emerged from policy developments during the early 2010s that sought to integrate environmental priorities within national frameworks such as the Natural Environment White Paper (2011) and the subsequent Biodiversity 2020 plan. The concept drew on precedents including Local Nature Reserves, the Regional Development Agencies era, and landscape-scale approaches exemplified by projects like the Great Fen Project and the AONB partnerships. Key actors in the formation included Defra, Natural England, and independent advisors associated with the Environment Agency and conservation NGOs such as The Wildlife Trusts, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the National Trust. Political and policy drivers included alignments with EU Natura 2000 designations, responses to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, and commitments related to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Purpose and objectives

LPs aim to deliver objectives derived from national strategies including Biodiversity 2020 and the Agriculture Act-era reforms, by convening partners to prioritise restoration of habitats such as lowland heath, chalk grassland, and ancient woodland. They promote nature-based interventions informed by scientific guidance from institutions like UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), and the James Hutton Institute to support species recovery programmes for taxa featured in UK priority lists such as Birds of Conservation Concern and the Red Data Book. Objectives encompass integrating priorities with spatial planning mechanisms like the National Planning Policy Framework and with regional infrastructure projects that involve stakeholders including Highways England and Network Rail.

Governance and structure

Each partnership is constituted as a voluntary consortium with governance models varying across regions; some adopt board structures with representatives from organisations such as local authorities, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Environment Agency, and third-sector bodies like Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and The Wildlife Trusts. Strategic oversight often involves liaison with national agencies including Natural England and collaborative working with entities such as Local Enterprise Partnerships and Combined Authorities like the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Legal and organisational forms range from informal memoranda of understanding to incorporation as charitable companies, bringing in trustees often drawn from academia—University of Cambridge, University of York, University of Exeter—and industry partners including utilities like United Utilities.

Activities and programmes

Partnerships coordinate programmes spanning habitat restoration, green infrastructure planning, urban greening exemplified by projects in London, Bristol, and Manchester, and catchment-scale interventions linked to organisations like the Anglian Water and the Thames Water catchment initiatives. Activities include delivering species action plans aligned with work by RSPB and Bat Conservation Trust, implementing river restoration with the Wild Trout Trust and the Salmon and Trout Association, and undertaking peatland restoration akin to schemes in the Yorkshire Dales and Peak District. They facilitate stakeholder engagement through mechanisms used by the National Trust and Royal Horticultural Society and support delivery of climate adaptation and carbon sequestration projects resonant with research from Met Office and Committee on Climate Change outputs.

Funding and partnerships

Funding sources combine grants from central government channels such as Defra programmes, competitive funds including the Heritage Lottery Fund and regional growth funds associated with Local Enterprise Partnerships, and partnership contributions from charitable foundations like the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and corporate partners including utilities and developers regulated by Environment Agency. Collaborations with international and UK research funders—Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Innovate UK—and with sector bodies like Town and Country Planning Association leverage technical capacity. Delivery often depends on multi-party agreements involving landowners represented by organisations such as the Country Land and Business Association.

Impact and evaluation

Evaluations of partnership outcomes reference indicators used by national frameworks such as Biodiversity 2020 and metrics developed by research centres including CEH and the James Hutton Institute; reported impacts include hectares of restored habitat, improvements in water quality monitored by the Environment Agency, and contributions to species recovery tracked against lists like the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Independent reviews have compared regional performance with landscape-scale programmes such as the Mersey Forest and assessed socio-economic co-benefits akin to findings from green infrastructure studies in London and Greater Manchester. Ongoing scrutiny comes from parliamentary inquiries including those by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee and audit assessments by the National Audit Office.

Category:Conservation in England