Dear Councillor, 

Congratulations! I am writing to ask you to please remember nature in your new role as my local decision-maker.  

Wildlife is struggling across the UK - overall species abundance has declined since 1970, and things aren’t getting any better. This is a threat to us all. Less nature means less food and will lead to more flooding; more pollution; more ill-health; and more economic risk.  But Councillors can play a major contribution to turning this serious issue around. 

Now you are elected, there are three steps you can take to bring nature back in this area. 

• Use the Local Nature Recovery Strategy to inform planning decisions

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are a blueprint for restoring nature at a local level. Our LNRS will include agreed priorities for recovering and enhancing local wild spaces and bringing wildlife back to health. There is a legal duty on planning authorities to have regard to the LNRS when making decisions, and there will be a new duty to take them into account in plan-making.  

Councillors can fully embrace the spirit of these duties, and make sure that ‘having regard’ and ‘taking account’ goes beyond ticking boxes. Now you are elected, you could scrutinise planning applications and strategic plans, asking officers:  

1. To fully explain how LNRS priorities have been factored into them
2. For renewed consideration under the duties if nature has been ignored and actions haven’t been progressed  

• Support Local Wildlife Sites 

Local Wildlife Sites are important and distinctive spaces for nature. These cover 5% of England and are selected locally to provide protection to threatened species and habitats. There is a duty in Planning Policy on planning authorities to identify, map and safeguard these protections.  

A small amount of extra resourcing can go a long way here. Councillors can make sure that nature's recovery is a priority locally as well as nationally. Now you are elected, you could ensure this duty is upheld by:   

1. Acting as a champion for these sites
2. Supporting Local Wildlife Site partnerships and Local Environmental Records Centres to look after, monitor and record these important wild spaces

• Unlock the potential of nature to improve health and education outcomes 

Access to natural spaces - like parks or woodland - and getting close to nature is proven to improve health and well-being. Time spent in nature has positive outcomes for us all, and especially for children’s learning experiences in schools including improved attainment and engagement with their peers, teachers, and subject matter.

Councillors can open up opportunities for everyone to benefit from a thriving natural world. Now you are elected, you could actively increase access to nature near where people live, work and visit by:  

1. Working with local health providers and schools to highlight the benefits of a healthy environment to everyone
2. Helping more landowners to consider how more people could benefit from the spaces they care for.

I hope you will pursue these three simple but hugely important actions and bring nature back to our community as my newly elected Councillor. 

Thank you for keeping the future of the natural world high on your agenda.  

Yours sincerely,