Berkshire's Local Nature Recovery Strategy

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Now is a really exciting time for nature.



We need to think about where Berkshire nature needs our help the most and how people can benefit from giving nature a hand. Help us decide.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are spatial strategies to recover nature across England: part of the 2021 Environment Act. Together, they will cover the country in a Nature Recovery Network (NRN).

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead are excited to be the Responsible Authority (RA) for our Berkshire LNRS. Bracknell, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire and Wokingham are supporting authorities with Natural England. They are helping to contribute to the strategy. Updates on the progress of the LNRS are posted below.


Visualisation of stakeholder views on Berkshire Nature Recovery. Credits to Natalie Ganpatsingh.


Each LNRS will map areas of current particular importance for biodiversity, and work with partners from many groups, from landowners to businesses, to eNGOs, and the public. Priorities for nature recovery will be agreed and these will be used to create a local habitat map. These will depict what needs to happen to achieve the agreed aims for nature. This will link up with delivery mechanisms, such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for planning and Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes for land management including farming.


Find a blog here from Natural England for more information on Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

Now is a really exciting time for nature.



We need to think about where Berkshire nature needs our help the most and how people can benefit from giving nature a hand. Help us decide.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are spatial strategies to recover nature across England: part of the 2021 Environment Act. Together, they will cover the country in a Nature Recovery Network (NRN).

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead are excited to be the Responsible Authority (RA) for our Berkshire LNRS. Bracknell, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire and Wokingham are supporting authorities with Natural England. They are helping to contribute to the strategy. Updates on the progress of the LNRS are posted below.


Visualisation of stakeholder views on Berkshire Nature Recovery. Credits to Natalie Ganpatsingh.


Each LNRS will map areas of current particular importance for biodiversity, and work with partners from many groups, from landowners to businesses, to eNGOs, and the public. Priorities for nature recovery will be agreed and these will be used to create a local habitat map. These will depict what needs to happen to achieve the agreed aims for nature. This will link up with delivery mechanisms, such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for planning and Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes for land management including farming.


Find a blog here from Natural England for more information on Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

  • What will the strategy be useful for?

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    It will be a blueprint for Berkshire's Nature Recovery Network that will help us prioritise where and how we should invest and target action in the short-term. In so doing, it will be a crucial delivery plan for the long-term ambitions of each Local Authority's Biodiversity Action Plans, Climate strategies and more.

    The Berkshire LNRS will help to guide:

    • Planning and development: How and where developers will deliver their new Biodiversity Net Gain duties - including the delivery of biodiversity offsetting and by identifying spatial allocations for nature.
    • Agri-environment funding: It will help shape how future funding for farmers and land managers will be used under the new Environmental Land Management Scheme.
    • Nature-based solutions: It may strengthen local ambitions for nature-based solutions to climate change by identifying priority areas for trees, wetland and other key habitats.
    • Investment: It aims to help to attract and guide future investment in Berkshire's Nature Recovery Network.

  • Steering Group

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    The Steering Group for the strategy is chaired by the Berkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy Manager and comprises representatives of key partners and stakeholders.

    The membership of the Steering group is:

    • Berkshire Nature Partnership
    • Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
    • Wokingham Borough council, representing Berkshire ecologists
    • West Berkshire Council representing local authorities of Berkshire
    • Natural England
    • Environment Agency
    • Forestry Commission
    • NFU (National Farmers Union)
    • The Crown Estate
    • University of Reading, Head, Agri-Environment Group
    • The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead - Climate Change and Biodiversity Cabinet member

  • Berkshire Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOAs)

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    These have been defined and published by the Berkshire Local Nature Partnership. The aim of identifying such areas was to protect biodiversity and reverse past losses by enlarging, buffering and reconnecting priority habitats, through the targeted establishment of new wildlife-rich areas, in optimum areas of the county. This is very closely linked to the aim of the local nature recovery strategies. BOAs, along with other information, will be used to help inform potential recovery sites on the Local Habitat Map.

  • Provisional timescale

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    Summer 2023 - Preparing for consultation, Baseline Map creation

    Autumn 2023 - Introductory Webinars, Species Longlist creation

    Winter 2023 - Engagement Survey, Analysis of Engagement Survey

    Spring 2024 - Stakeholder Consultations, Species Shortlist creation

    Summer 2024 - Data prioritisation, Progress Update Webinar, Opportunity Map creation, List of Priorities creation

    Autumn 2024 - Draft LNRS to SAs and neighbouring RAs, RBWM cabinet and council

    Winter 2024 - Public consultation, approval of LNRS by SAs

    Spring 2025 - RBWM cabinet, Publication of Berkshire LNRS

  • Implementation and Delivery

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    The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is responsible for producing the strategy. It will have a role in implementing it. This will become clearer with further guidance from DEFRA on delivery. Delivery of the strategy will begin after creation, likely in late 2024. The supporting authorities (Bracknell Forest Council, Reading Borough Council, Slough Borough Council, West Berkshire Council, Wokingham Borough Council and Natural England) will assist with production of the strategy.

  • Monitoring progress

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    The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead are responsible for reporting on progress and periodically updating the strategy, every 3-10 years. The exact timing of this will be detailed by DEFRA. Supporting authorities have related biodiversity enhancement and reporting duties too, under section 102 and 103 of the Environment Act.

  • Further information

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    A dedicated webpage for the Berkshire LNRS will be available soon, and linked here.


    Please find links below to relevant authorities and stakeholders regarding the LNRS.

    Berkshire Local Nature Partnership

    Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust

    Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre

    Lessons learnt from pilot Local Nature Recovery Strategies (GOV.UK)


    Bracknell Forest Council

    Reading Borough Council

    Slough Borough Council

    West Berkshire Council

    Wokingham Borough Council

Page last updated: 23 Oct 2024, 04:16 PM