Developers

Developers are important partners in the Shropshire and Telford & Telford & Wrekin Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). New development has a key role to play in helping nature recover while also delivering high‑quality, sustainable places to live and work. The LNRS is a practical tool to support biodiversity net gain delivery, reduce risk, and help create high‑quality, nature‑positive development in the right places. Early engagement with the LNRS can unlock both environmental and commercial value.

The LNRS is non‑regulatory. For clarity, it:

• Doesn’t allocate land for development
• Doesn’t impose new planning restrictions
• Doesn’t override local or national planning policy

Our guide for developers provides a relevant overview of the LNRS.

Planning and development

The LNRS isn’t a planning designation, and it isn’t designed to change land use by itself. However, it does help to guide and incentivise nature‑positive development through its relationship with the planning system in three important ways:

• Informing planning decisions: public authorities must use the LNRS map and priorities to inform planning decisions
• Shaping future planning policy: planning policies can require development to contribute to LNRS priorities, helping to deliver strategic, connected nature recovery at a landscape scale
• Supporting biodiversity net gain (BNG): under mandatory BNG requirements, developers and landowners may qualify for a 15% ‘strategic significance’ uplift in biodiversity units where habitats are created or enhanced:
• in line with LNRS priorities, and
• within LNRS priority areas

This can support scheme viability while helping deliver meaningful outcomes for nature. Visit the Gov.UK website for more information on BNG.

Our strategic significance guidance provides further information on when it's appropriate to apply this multiplier in the BNG metric.

Please see LNRS and planning for further information on how the LNRS interacts with planning.

Early consideration

The LNRS helps to direct public investment and private finance towards locations and actions that will have the greatest benefit for nature. Referring to the LNRS early in a development process, including at site appraisal and when developing the initial scheme design, can help effectively integrate nature from the outset, maximising the scheme benefits for residents and nature while optimising costs and reducing late-stage design changes and uncertainty.

LNRS priorities most relevant to development

Many LNRS priorities can be delivered through well‑designed development and green infrastructure. The most relevance actions are A14.1 (integrate nature recovery within new developments) and A14.3 (enhance wildlife value of multifunctional green space), but many other priorities and actions will be relevant, eg hedgerows and effective water management.