Published 23/08/2026 By William Turtle-Clark

Herefordshire Council has published a new Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) designed to protect and restore the county’s natural environment.

The strategy establishes a framework for coordinated environmental action, identifying key habitats where improvements will yield the greatest benefits for wildlife, local communities, and the broader environment.

Central to the plan is an interactive Local Habitat Map, which highlights existing areas of high biodiversity alongside locations targeted for future habitat creation. The document outlines 37 priorities and 100 supporting measures covering critical local ecosystems, including rivers, wetlands, woodlands, traditional orchards, hedgerows, and grasslands.

Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst, Herefordshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, emphasized that while nature is under pressure, the initiative is "not about telling landowners what they must do, or putting barriers in the way of development." She described it as a high-level framework to guide recovery and invited residents, farmers, and community groups to explore the plans.

The strategy was developed in collaboration with national and local partners, incorporating feedback from more than 600 comments gathered during a seven-week public consultation earlier this year.

Saul Herbert, CEO of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, welcomed the publication, calling it a "landmark moment" that provides a strong platform for collaborative conservation across the county.

Council officials confirmed the strategy is entirely voluntary and carries no dedicated funding or statutory development restrictions. Following its launch, the council plans to work alongside local partners to turn the framework into targeted action, inform future authority decisions, and track ongoing progress.