Greater Manchester launches Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Greater Manchester has launched its Local Nature Recovery Strategy to reverse the decline of wildlife and ensure better access to nature and green spaces.

The plan is the first-of-its-kind in the North of England and is a direct response to the city-region declaring a biodiversity emergency in 2022 and research revealing serious declines in local wildlife and habitats over the past 50 years.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) aim is to set out how the city region will protect and restore nature, improve access to green spaces, and make Greater Manchester more resilient to climate challenges like flooding and overheating. Goals set in the LNRS include:

• Increasing the amount of land designated for nature in Greater Manchester from 11% to 15% 
• Bringing half of Greater Manchester’s sites designated for nature into active management 
• Restoring or creating 1,800 hectares of wildlife-rich land 
• Increasing tree canopy cover across the city-region from 15% to 17%. 

It also sets out how a new “Nature Network” will join up habitats across Greater Manchester, creating bigger and more connected spaces for wildlife to thrive. 

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

“Nature matters to all of us – for our health, our wellbeing, and the future of our communities. But we’ve seen decades of decline that can’t go on. 

“Today’s launch marks our commitment to turn the tide, restore wildlife across Greater Manchester, and make sure everyone has a nature-rich green space near where they live. It also supports our wider vision for the next decade: to make Greater Manchester a greener and healthier city region for all our residents.” 

Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh, said:

“I pay tribute to the mayor of Greater Manchester and all the local partners for their leadership on developing this strategy. It is a brilliant launch pad ahead of the international nature and science summit which Manchester will be hosting next February.” 

Cllr Tom Ross, Greater Manchester Lead for Green-City Region, said:

“The Local Nature Recovery Strategy is about making nature part of everyday life in Greater Manchester – not just in our parks and open spaces, but in our town centres, our streets and the places where people live and work. 

“We know that not everyone has access to nature. This plan is about changing that so everyone, wherever they live, can benefit from cleaner air and green spaces that support health and wellbeing. Working with our councils, communities and partners, we are determined to restore habitats, expand our green networks, and put nature at the heart of the way our city region grows in the future.” 

The LNRS has been developed over the past two years with input from all ten local authorities, environmental organisations, and local residents. More than 400 people responded to a public consultation, showing strong support for the plans.