Cornwall Council launches action plan for nature recovery
Plan aims to boost biodiversity across parks, rivers and seas
Cornwall Council has unveiled its Grow Nature Action Plan, outlining steps to enhance biodiversity across the county's public spaces and waterways.
The plan responds to the ecological emergency by prioritising nature recovery in decision-making.
It pledges to increase biodiversity on land, alongside rivers and bathing waters that Cornwall Council owns or manages.
Nature recovery will also be integrated into local planning policies, including the development of the new Local Plan.
This initiative follows on Cornwall Council's commitment to collaborate with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership to safeguard and restore nature in the region.
Detailed strategies are encapsulated in the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Strategy and Marine Nature Recovery Framework published last year.
The Grow Nature Action Plan aims to revitalise environments by encouraging more wildlife like butterflies, birds, and wildflowers, improving surroundings for people while boosting well-being.
Cllr Loic Rich, portfolio holder for environment and climate change, emphasised the significance of the plan:
“Cornish residents care deeply about nature, as evidenced by the wide-scale responses during the development of our Nature Recovery Strategy. They want us to act, so this is why we have published our own Grow Nature Action Plan,” Rich said.
“We want to demonstrate how we are striving to lead by example. The plan sets out how we will embed nature recovery across the council. It reflects our priorities, aligns with national climate and nature goals, and responds to Cornwall’s unique opportunities to be clean and green with healthy rivers and seas.”
Under the new plan, Cornwall Council aims to engage communities in connecting with nature locally to enhance health and wellness.
The council plans to support businesses, public bodies, and landowners to incorporate biodiversity considerations in their future planning.
The Grow Nature Action Plan extends its scope to marine environments, setting a precedent as the first local authority in England to adopt such a framework.
With four missions covering land, rivers, seas, nature-positive decision making, community resilience, and local action, Cornwall Council aims for 30% of local habitats to be well managed for nature by 2030.
The council will ensure compliance with the Enhanced Biodiversity Duty, articulating policies and objectives to conserve and augment biodiversity according to the Environment Act 2021.