Introduction

Local Nature Recovery and the creation of Nature Recovery Networks form part of the Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan as enacted by the Environment Act 2021. It is intended that the Nature Recovery Networks will be a national network of wildlife-rich places that connect across the country’s cities, towns, countryside and coast and will help address three of the biggest challenges we face: biodiversity loss, climate change and wellbeing.

What is going on in Bolsover District?

We see 2023 as the year when we prioritise Local Nature Recovery. We know that our climate is changing and that as a result our natural environment is facing challenges and that action is required from all parties.

To lead this action, we have appointed Councillor Tom Munro as our Local Nature Recovery Champion and he chaired our inaugural Bolsover Local Nature Recovery Summit on Friday 10 February 2023. The Summit brought together the full range of stakeholders to agree the priorities for action and saw the launch of our Bolsover Local Nature Recovery Action Plan.

The presentations given on the day can be viewed below:

• Hollie Fisher, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust - Presentation on the Bolsover Local Nature Recovery Action Plan
• Sami Lawson, Natural England - Presentation on the Derbyshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy and National NRN First Steps and Links
• Tom French, Derbyshire County Council - Presentation on Delivering a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Derbyshire

At the end of the Summit, Local Nature Heritage Champion, Councillor Tom Munro, announced the following pledges for action from us.

1. Bolsover District Council pledges to increase the financial support for local nature recovery by 50%, using this funding to help deliver the Bolsover Local Nature Recovery Strategy by surveying more of our precious Local Wildlife Sites and bring about improvements to their condition.
2. Bolsover District Council pledges to do its own land management differently and in ways that enhance biodiversity, and we will trial this new approach at the Hilltop Recreation Ground in Pinxton, involving the local community, to deliver a more local nature orientated management regime that brings about improvements to its condition.
3. Bolsover District Council pledges to establish a Voluntary Sector Forum to bring together the District’s community groups that are active in local nature recovery and environmental matters to foster greater networking and volunteering opportunities, as well as increasing understanding of the funding available to them for local nature recovery.
4. Bolsover District Council pledges to establish a land bank record and seek to add to this by asking its new company, Dragonfly Development Ltd, to explore opportunities to acquire land that would help connect and extend the District’s local nature networks.

We will now work on delivering the pledges made at the Summit to bring about local nature recovery.