Council declares its commitment to nature recovery

Lichfield District Council has launched a Nature Recovery Ceclaration, backed unanimously by Cabinet.

To support the recovery of nature across the district, the Council will use the new Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which will sit within the national Nature Recovery Network and underpin all planning, development and land management decisions.

Lichfield District Council has worked with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to develop the declaration.

One of its targets is to manage at least 30 per cent of council-owned land for the benefit of wildlife by 2030 and achieve a net-gain to biodiversity across all development.

Through the declaration, the Council will also improve the landscape 's resilience to climate change by employing nature-based solutions including carbon storage and sequestration, managing flood risk, improving water quality and sustaining vital ecosystems.

A tree strategy will pursue a 'right tree, right place ' approach and the Council will prioritise the protection of heathland habitats, focusing on restoration and increasing ecological connectivity.

Also, access to nature will be improved particularly in areas with high levels of physical and mental health problems and those where the amount and quality of accessible natural greenspace is below the target set by Natural England.

Short and long-term targets will be set to reverse the decline and increase wildlife species as part of the 2050 Lichfield District Strategy.

Councillor Angela Lax, Lichfield District Council 's cabinet member for housing, ecology and climate change, said: “It is essential that we take a lead in addressing the nature crisis and our Nature Recovery Declaration is an important step.

“We will continue to consider the impact of everything we do on habitats and wildlife but through a defined structure.

“The importance of our wildlife cannot be overstated and we must do all we can to ensure it survives and flourishes. ”

Liz Peck, Advocacy and Campaigns Manager for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: “There has never been a more important time to take action to tackle the ecological emergency.

“Much-loved wildlife like hedgehogs and water voles are vulnerable to extinction and we 've lost 97 per cent of our wildflower meadows since the 1930s.

“We have worked closely with Lichfield District Council to develop the Nature Recovery Declaration and we 're delighted that this has been voted on unanimously.

“The Declaration demonstrates that the council recognises the nature crisis and is committing to a series of vital actions to support nature 's recovery across all its areas of work.

“It is a really positive step forward and will make a real difference on the ground for nature across Lichfield. ”