City residents are being asked to help shape an ambitious new nature strategy for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The Local Nature Recovery Strategy will help to protect nature and allow it to recover by preserving and improving habitats and biodiversity. It will identify locations to create or improve habitat and provide the greatest benefit for nature and the wider environment.
The city council is working with Leicestershire County Council on the development of the strategy, in liaison with other local authorities, land management organisations, and the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Two Making Space for Nature surveys for the public and local organisations have been launched to capture a wide range of views, ideas and suggestions on how nature can be improved and helped to recover across the area.
A spokesperson for the city council said: “We want to hear from as many groups and individuals as possible so we can agree priorities for nature locally and identify locations that will benefit most.
"We can’t do this by ourselves. We know we need to strike a balance between helping nature and wildlife recover, protecting the livelihoods of those who own and cultivate land, and the wider needs of people who live here.”
All of the views and ideas will contribute to the final strategy which will go out for consultation before it is published in the summer of 2025.
The surveys can be found here, and more information about the Local Nature Recovery Strategy can be found here.
The partners helping to oversee the development of the strategy are Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council, Rutland County Council, all seven district councils, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Natural England, and The National Forest Company.