Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy

This consultation has closed. We will now analyse and consider the response. We expect to publish the consultation report in spring 2025.

The draft Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) sets out the county’s priorities for nature recovery and the recommended actions to deliver these. It also identifies where in the county this action should be targeted to deliver the greatest outcomes for the county’s habitats and species.

The LNRS is the first of its kind for the county and has been prepared by Kent County Council, appointed by Defra as Responsible Authority. It is one of 48 strategies across England, with the shared aim of halting and reversing the decline of nature.

The intention the LNRS is to direct action and investment to areas where it is most needed, and will achieve the greatest benefits, and to steer losses and impacts away from the county’s most valuable natural assets.

Have your say!

This consultation provides an opportunity to help shape and finalise this exciting new strategy before it is published later in 2025. So have your say on ending the decline of nature across the county, and supporting its recovery.

You can tell us your views by completing the online questionnaire.

If you cannot complete the online version a Word version is available to download from this webpage, which you can complete and return either by email or post.

If you need any help taking part in this consultation or have any questions, you come to one of our events or contact us via the contact details in the Who's listening section.

The consultation questionnaire provides you with the opportunity to comment on:

• The process of developing the Strategy and how useful the resulting Strategy will be in informing nature recovery within the county.
• Whether the Strategy sufficiently provides the context for the need for nature recovery and how this will be delivered.
• The principles, vision and priorities for nature recovery in Kent and Medway.
• The potential measures (suggested actions), and areas identified for where these actions would best be delivered, to support the recovery of nature.

Please make sure your response reaches us before the consultation closes on 12 March 2025.

Draft Kent and Medway LNRS

The draft LNRS can be downloaded using the buttons below or via the 'Documents' section on this webpage. The LNRS is split into three main parts; Part 1, Part 2 and the Mapping. You will also find an Executive Summary of the LNRS. If you need any help to use the online maps, there is a user guide available.

Appendices and user guide

The draft LNRS has been developed with extensive input from partners and stakeholders, with over 1,000 individuals attending events designed to enable full participation in the process. Background information relating to the development of the Strategy are available from the button below. You will also find answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Meet the team

Across the consultation period, there will be a number of online briefings and in person opportunities to to hear about the Strategy and speak to members of the team. Click on the Consultation events button below to find when and where you can catch the team.

Alongside the consultation, you can also vote on your favourite flagship species. The finalised list of flagship species will then be used to help rally support for nature recovery work in Kent.

Next steps

Following the consultation, your responses will be analysed and a consultation report, outlining the feedback will be published on this webpage. This feedback will be used to help finalise the LNRS.

Once the LNRS is finalised, we will share it with the Supporting Authorities and our neighbouring Responsible Authorities. Following a four week period, and the addressing of any issues, we can then inform the Secretary of State of our intent to publish.

Details of how the Strategy delivery will then be coordinated, monitored and supported will be published by the government later in 2025.