Purpose

To support the approval of the Berkshire Local
Nature Recovery Strategy by the Responsible Authority, Royal
Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Decision

RESOLVED that
 

i.      
Bracknell Forest Council endorses the approval of the Berkshire
LNRS by the Responsible Authority, Royal Borough of Windsor and
Maidenhead, provided any feedback raised by officers is adequately
addressed before 8 August 2025.
 

ii.    
final authority to agree minor amendments and endorse the approval
of the Berkshire LNRS is delegated to the Executive Director Place,
in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and
Countryside.

Reasons for the decision

i.      
Local nature recovery strategies (LNRSs) are spatial strategies for
nature and environmental improvement required by law under the
Environment Act 2021. Each LNRS will agree priorities for nature
recovery and propose actions in locations where they would make a
particular contribution to achieving those priorities.
 

ii.    
Bracknell Forest falls within the Berkshire strategy area. The
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has
appointed the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) as the
‘responsible authority’ to lead the preparation of the
Berkshire LNRS. The other Berkshire unitary
authorities (including Bracknell Forest Council) and Natural
England are ‘supporting authorities’.
 

iii.   
This is
the first time an LNRS has been produced in Berkshire and for all
other LNRS areas in England.
 

iv.   
RBWM has
undertaken wide-ranging stakeholder engagement and worked
collaboratively with partners over recent months to produce the
Berkshire LNRS. The document went through a public consultation and
the feedback has been reviewed and incorporated where
appropriate.
 

v.    
Under
Regulation 13 of Statutory Instruments 2023
No. 341: The Environment (Local Nature Recovery Strategies)
(Procedure) Regulations 2023, RBWM as
the responsible authority must provide all supporting authorities
with its final LNRS which it considers is ready to be published and
inform the supporting authorities in writing of its intended date
for publication.
 

vi.   
Under
Regulation 15, a supporting authority may give a “publication
advisory notice” (ie. an
objection) within 28 days if the supporting authority considers
that part of a final LNRS cannot be justified based on the results
of the public consultation or the supporting authority considers
that the final LNRS is materially deficient. Otherwise, a
supporting authority may say nothing within the 28 days or may
confirm in writing they are content for the LNRS to be published.
In both of these cases, the responsible body may publish the
LNRS.
 

vii.  
Bracknell
Forest Council received the written elements of the LNRS on 30 June
2025, and the mapped element will be added on 4 July. They are
accessible at: Berkshire LNRS - Pre
publication draft for SAs | RBWM Together.
Please note it is suggested to read the written elements in the
following order:
 
·      
Description of Area
·      
Priorities and Potential Measures
·      
Species Priorities List
 
viii. RBWM are
allowing supporting authorities longer than the minimum 28-day
period to review the final LNRS. The supporting authority
consultation period is 30 June to 8 August 2025. Due to the time
constraints of the July cabinet within this period, it is
recommended that final authority to endorse the approval of the
Berkshire LNRS is delegated to the Executive Director Place, in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and
Countryside. This will enable all the available time to be used to
review the content and, if necessary, work with the responsible
authority to make any required changes.

 
ix.   
However, the Council and other local stakeholders
have been involved in the preparation of the strategy. Therefore,
it is anticipated that any changes would be minor and the overall
recommendation to Cabinet is that Bracknell Forest Council does not
give a publication advisory notice and instead confirms in writing
that Bracknell Forest Council is content for the LNRS to be
published.

Alternative options considered

i.      
The alternative options are:
 
1)   
To give a “publication advisory notice” if it is
considered that

 
a) part of a final
LNRS cannot be justified based on the results of the consultation
undertaken by the responsible authority; or
 
b) the final LNRS
is materially deficient These are the options for objection laid
out in Regulation 15.
 
2) To provide no
response and allow the 28 days to expire.
 
After this point,
the responsible authority will be allowed to proceed to
publication, so
this has the same effect as confirming we are content for the
LNRS to be
published.
 

ii.    
It is anticipated that Bracknell Forest Council will not wish to
object to the Berkshire LNRS proceeding to publication because:
 
•      
The LNRS as reviewed at public consultation included all the
elements required under Section 106 of the Environment Act, which
are:
 
a) a statement of
biodiversity priorities for the strategy area, and
b) a local habitat
map
·      
The development of the LNRS has been undertaken collaboratively,
with the involvement of Bracknell Forest Council and other
stakeholders. This has included a public consultation between 17
February and 24 March 2025.
 
Therefore, it is
anticipated that there will not be a reason to object to the broad
content, preparation or consultation and review of the LNRS.
 

iii.   
It is not an option to have no LNRS for Berkshire or for Bracknell
Forest not to be covered by an LNRS. LNRSs are required by law
under the Environment Act 2021. There are 48 LNRS strategy areas
which cover the whole of England with no gaps or overlaps.