FAQs
- A former landfill site in Bradford has been filled with wildflowers by the community and children love their new butterfly neighbours.
- People used to trek up to Calderdale’s moors to get clay and coal, now they go for peace and quiet.
- Visitors to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Stirley Farm in Kirklees see how land once intensively farmed can be managed in a way that is good for landscape, wildlife and people.
- St Aidan’s in Leeds, a former opencast coal mine, is now an RSPB nature reserve rich in wetland habitats.
- Where once the noise of machinery filled the spring air at the Lofthouse Colliery in Wakefield, now it’s chiffchaffs, cuckoos and blackcaps.
- If the feat of engineering of the Five Rise Locks in Bingley fails to hold your gaze, the canal’s dragonflies will surely do so.
What is a Local Nature Recovery Strategy?
The West Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy is one of around 50 spatial mapping and planning tools, which, together, will cover the whole of England and help to create a Nature Recovery Network of wildlife-rich places, as set out in the Environment Act 2021.
The aim is to expand, improve and connect these places across our towns, cities, countryside and coast. This will help us to deal with three of the biggest challenges we face today: biodiversity loss, climate change and wellbeing.
What will it do?
The West Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy will help to target action to create, restore and enhance nature. The Government’s overall ambition is that Local Nature Recovery Strategies will be a powerful new tool that will help the public, private and voluntary sectors work more effectively together for nature’s recovery.
How will it be developed?
Our Local Nature Recovery Strategy will be evidence-based, locally led and collaboratively produced, with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority acting as the Responsible Authority for its development.
Why is nature important?
Our natural environment has a critical role to play in underpinning a healthy and resilient population helping to reduce emissions and providing climate-ready services and solutions. A high-quality and accessible natural environment is vital for humans, biodiversity and sustainable places. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated the value of nearby, nature-rich green spaces, particularly for physical and mental health. While some of the region’s natural land and water environment is in a good condition, this is by no means true for all West Yorkshire. Our biodiversity, ecosystem and river basin services are coming under increasing threat, and this impacts many areas of our economy. A healthy natural environment will allow us all to enjoy the abundance of benefits that nature has to offer.
How will this be funded?
As the Responsible Authority, WYCA has received £345,804 funding from DEFRA. It will use this to prepare and agree the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for West Yorkshire.
When will the strategy be launched?
The Strategy will be published by early 2025. The Strategy must, by law, be republished every 3-10 years.
What nature recovery is already happening in West Yorkshire?
Here's a few examples of local wins for nature: