FAQs

Farmers and landowners have been custodians of the land for generations, and it is recognised that they are passionate about living within nature and preserving wildlife on their land. Technological, policy and funding changes in the last 100 years have meant that farming practices have been intensified to produce more food and feed the nation. Sometimes this has happened at the expense of the wider environment and despite protest from farmers during the post war period. 

Now more than ever we are recognising how important nature is to the world we live in, and the need to balance food production with looking after nature. With that in mind, there is a new statutory requirement to produce Local Nature Recovery Strategies detailing, amongst other things, how nature can best evolve alongside food production.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Recovery Strategy will: 

• Agree collective priorities for nature 
• Map existing areas for nature 
• Map opportunities for creating and improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals using best available evidence and local knowledge 
• Help support nature within the planning system and development 
• Link with Biodiversity Net Gain and other funding source

• Guiding public and private funding, e.g., Farming in Protected Landscapes, Biodiversity Net Gain, English Woodland Creation Offer, Environmental Land Management Schemes and other natural capital interventions  
• Identifying where joining up places can help nature can thrive 
• Informing the planning process 
• Identifying the best locations for investment in natural capital and guide options to diversify farm income  
• Helping guide farm advisors and intermediaries to provide support for farmers 
• Identifying neighbours with similar environmental opportunities to support landscape-scale initiatives 
• Identifying where and how to use nature-based solutions to support ecosystems, meaning cleaner water, cleaner air, healthier soils, flood prevention, carbon sequestration, reducing risks and hazards which could affect the food supply chain

• The LNRS does not look to take agricultural land out of food production, it is about finding where food production and nature can work hand in hand 
• The LNRS will not dictate to farmers what they can do with their land – it will be a guide and not a prescription 

In some cases, the LNRS may highlight landscape scale opportunities for nature recovery. Where this happens, landowners will not be forced to implement the recommendations but may choose to explore funding to deliver on these opportunities with their neighbours. 

It will not replace farm visits, good site surveys and project planning, as it is intended as a strategic tool.

The LNRS is still being developed and there will be plenty of time to get involved in shaping it through 2024 by participating in events and the public consultation. See our Let’s Talk page specifically for farmers, and sign up for the Local Nature Partnership newsletter to be kept up to date. 

Nature Recovery is a term that covers a spectrum of actions we can take to protect, grow and enhance nature, and can be done alongside food production. From creating and maintaining Cornish hedgerows, planting wildflower margins and creating buffers along rivers to larger landscape scale projects and activities which we might think of as “rewilding”.

Part of the LNRS is to create maps, which we call the “Nature Recovery Network” to show existing and opportunity areas for nature recovery. We are working with the University of Exeter in Penryn to produce these maps using the best available evidence and techniques. So far, we have worked with local taxonomic experts to create priority species lists to inform where the opportunity areas are. These include farmland bird species such as corn buntings, cirl buntings and curlews.  

You can view some prototype Nature Recovery Network maps produced as part of the pilot, on Lagas. But please note that new Nature Recovery Network maps are being produced to replace Lagas and will be part of a public consultation.

Thank you for being a champion for nature on your land! We absolutely recognise the great work farmers are doing due to them inherently caring about the natural environment around them. We are also aware of the increasing commitment to help nature within the farming community.  

We also know that nature is still in trouble, with many species in decline. Our aim is that the mapping and strategy will both highlight areas already working for nature, and signpost to where the opportunities are. One way that those already doing a lot for nature can use the strategy is to explore the opportunity maps and see if what you are already doing matches the suggestions made by the mapping. For example, it may be that by making a few changes to what you are already doing, you can help to support a species that relies on a certain habitat. The opportunity maps are there to help us all to deliver the best interventions for nature in the best places.

We hope that by raising awareness of the strategy, everyone understands what is happening and how it relates to their land. You may decide that this is not something that is useful to you now, but at a later date it may be that you would like to take a look and see the suggestions that apply to your farm.

30 by 30 is a global target to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030. It was agreed at COP15.

The LNRS can help local areas celebrate land already contributing and identify opportunities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly which could contribute to 30% of our land, rivers and seas being well managed for nature by 2030.

Land which contributes locally to our 30x30 target currently includes: 

• Land with certain designations including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with favourable or recovering status, County Wildlife Sites, and nature reserves 
• Land known to be managed for conservation such as non-tenanted land owned by wildlife charities 
• Agricultural land in High-Tier countryside and environmental stewardship schemes 

With the ongoing ELMS transition and recent new Defra guidance on its national 30x30 measure, we are currently reviewing this local measure. 

We recognise that our 30x30 target is not capturing all land that is currently being well-managed for nature. It only measures land for which we have reliable, repeatable data on management practices. It does however provide an indication of the direction of travel and is likely an under representation.

The LNRS itself will not directly impact what you do with your land, as it is a strategy to help inform future nature recovery. The opportunity mapping is for guidance and is not a prescription to be followed. Whilst we hope that farmers and landowners will engage with the LNRS and use it once it is published, the LNRS will not affect you if you do not wish it to.

It is up to you and your landlord to decide if you would like to put any of the LNRS and opportunity map’s suggestions in place.

Not if you don’t want to, the strategy and map are suggested ways to enhance nature. Whilst they are based off of the best evidence, they cannot replace the knowledge you have of your land. You can choose another way to help recover nature or choose to farm as you have done previously in that area.

The LNRS will be a consideration within the planning process though we are still awaiting specific direction from Government on how this will work in practice. 

The LNRS is unlikely to prohibit small scale developments on your farm, however, plans are likely to need to be expected to show that biodiversity is not being damaged as is already the case for many developments. This is particularly true of larger developments which have to deliver 10% Biodiversity Net Gain.

The LNRS may recommend reduced use of the plant protection products (PPP) you use on your farm, especially in sensitive areas, but it won’t be compulsory.

The LNRS maps are a strategic tool, they are for guidance and not a prescription. There is no suggestion from Defra that the actions mapped will become compulsory. The LNRS must be formally adopted by Cornwall Council after public consultation. If the intended use of the maps was to change, then this would also need to go through public consultation before being adopted.

The LNRS and maps will be updated every 3-10 years. Exactly when this will be is determined by the secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Of course. The strategy and mapping will be a suggestion of how to aid nature most effectively in that area based on evidence, and is a guide for landowner choice, not a prescription. If you have something different in mind that is fine, although it is important to think about whether what you plan to do is counterproductive. For example, you are not looking to plant woodland where heathland would be the most nature friendly solution. If you are unsure, please speak to your farm advisor for guidance. 

Also, you do not have to stick to the mapped areas; anywhere you can provide nature friendly areas on your farm is a bonus to wildlife.

Yes. We are working closely with our counterparts in Devon to ensure continuity. As we all know, nature doesn’t stop at the Devon border, it just puts the cream on first after crossing!

We have an Isles of Scilly LNRS Officer based on St Mary’s who is helping us to work closely with partners on the Isles of Scilly, including the Farmers and Growers group. This will help to ensure the recommendations in the strategy and maps are relevant to the Isles of Scilly.

Cornwall Council has been appointed by the Minister to be the Responsible Authority for the development of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LNRS, but many organisations are being consulted at every stage of developing this strategy. Examples relevant to farmers and landowners include the National Landscapes teams, NFU, CLA, Duchy of Cornwall, FWAG and many others. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership is acting as the LNRS Steering Group locally and includes representation from a range of conservation, farming and marine representatives. 

Government has determined that Natural England are a Supporting Authority for each LNRS across England and support Cornwall Council in interpreting the national regulations and guidance that come with the LNRS and ensuring consistency with other strategy areas.  

The Council of the Isles of Scilly is also a Supporting Authority and helps us ensure that the needs of Scilly are well represented within the strategy. 

All of the key organisations involved in the LNRS are committed to working with the farming community throughout the development of the LNRS, learning lessons from recent engagement across the southwest.

The draft strategy and accompanying maps will be subject to further local engagement and public consultation through 2024. Once formally adopted, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and final maps will be available for public viewing online, which is anticipated in spring 2025. Keep checking the Let’s Talk page for updates or sign up to the Local Nature Partnerships newsletter for monthly updates.

Delivery of the LNRS is only going to be possible through a collective effort by local residents, businesses, farms, land managers, schools, organisations and industry. All Public Authorities in England now have a strengthened ‘biodiversity duty’ to conserve and enhance biodiversity as set out in the Environment Act. For example, parks, gardens, cemeteries, communal areas and all amenity green spaces will have their part to play in nature recovery.

Farm clusters are a great way of bringing about larger scale projects that can be financially beneficial to farmers and really help nature. They are also a great way to bring farmers together socially and improve mental health within the farming community.

If you would like to create a cluster with your neighbours and need help or advice, speak to your farm advisor or contact us at grow-nature@cornwall.gov.uk

National Landscapes are increasingly contributing to nature recovery, and so it is expected that both National Parks and National Landscapes will be particularly suitable places for nature to grow. However, the LNRS covers the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and so we won’t know where our opportunity areas are until the maps are created later this year. 

If you farm in a National Landscape area, then you are in the fortunate position to possibly get extra financial help to assist in helping nature through Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL funding in 2024. Contact the FiPL team via their webpage here.  

The Government’s Agricultural Transition Plan has recently been updated and now states: "We will support greater coordination between our schemes and Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS). Between now and 2025, local authorities will work with landowners, land managers and farmers across the country to develop LNRS by identifying and mapping the most important actions for nature recovery in their areas. As LNRS become available across England, we will explore join up between funding initiatives and LNRS."

There are a few options when looking to get an income to support nature on your farm, and even ways to provide a long-term income from areas dedicated to nature.  

ELMS are available to farmers and provide financial support for those who wish to manage land for nature, and at an entry level SFI payments are there to enable farmers to do so and continue to support food production. For more ambitious projects, Countryside Stewardship payments enable farmers to be funded for more enhanced nature recovery whilst still allowing them to keep food production as a priority. 

Alternatively, Biodiversity Net Gain and payments for ecosystem services (such as being paid for natural flood defence through the upstream thinking fund), can provide a long-term income from land used for nature recovery.  

The Future Farm Resilience funding programme has been set up by Government to provide free 1:1 advice to help plan your farms future during this difficult transition period. To find a list of advisors who work in your area, click here.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a policy that aims to make sure developments have a net positive impact on biodiversity compared to what was there before the development. Developers must deliver a biodiversity net gain of 10%, and if this cannot be accomplished ‘on site’, the developer must in the first instance fund habitat improvement in the local area through purchasing biodiversity units. The payment for biodiversity units covers the management and maintenance costs for a minimum of 30 years and is paid to the landowner of the related site.  

BNG is now mandatory for larger developments as of 12th February 2024.

The LNRS maps will highlight areas in communities where nature recovery will be most effective and suggest the most appropriate actions to deliver. The LNRS maps determine the BNG ‘strategic significance’ multiplier within the biodiversity metric. Through this, developers will be incentivised to target delivery of offsite BNG in areas identified within the LNRS. The LNRS maps can help identify the best habitats to be created in those areas. If you want to use your land to sell biodiversity units, the LNRS maps can support you with decisions around which habitats are most suitable.

If you are interested in being a seller of biodiversity units, then it is up to you to implement this. You can find out more information here. There is an opportunity for landowners who are interested in selling biodiversity units to contact the Cornwall Council planning team to register their interest through the councils call for sites here. 

If a developer is interested in offsite BNG, and your land is identified as an opportunity are in our LNRS maps then it is possible that you could be approached by an interested party.  

It is important to note that Cornwall Council or the Council of the Isles of Scilly will not give farmers and landowners contact details out, and so any interactions around BNG are between the landowner and the developer or third party.

If you would like more information on any of these income options, please email  linc@cornwall.gov.uk

There are various places you can look to find funding for nature recovery: 

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership has a list of funding available. 

If you are interested in planting trees, then Forest for Cornwall can help with all stages of the application process. 

If you have a watercourse on our near your land, you might be eligible for funding through the Upstream Thinking project funded by South West Water and working with organisations such as Westcountry Rivers Trust and Cornwall Wildlife Trust.  

If you are in a National Landscape area you could be eligible for Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) funding. 

Alternatively, there are private funding options becoming available.  
Contact linc@cornwall.gov.uk. 

The LINC project is supporting farmers and landowners to develop natural capital projects that deliver nature recovery. Developers, businesses and individuals are keen to fund and invest in environmental projects that help create a greener future and provide nature-based solutions. Funders are interested in funding a range of projects such as wildflower meadows; preserving water courses; tree planting; building wetlands; larger scale tree planting; and natural flood management.  

LINC is creating a platform whereby farmers and landowners present their natural capital projects to potential buyers of natural capital. LINC can provide baselining, opportunity mapping and support, and can ultimately help guide a good long term income opportunity for landowners through facilitating contact with potential funders. If you are interested, please contact linc@cornwall.gov.uk 

If you are interested in tree planting including agroforestry, hedgerows, growing an orchard or planting a small area, please contact the Forest for Cornwall team.  

If you are interested in creating or repairing a traditional Cornish hedgerow, then contact the Guild of Cornish Hedgers.

Please visit our Nature Recovery Hub and sign up to our LNRS e-newsletter to keep up to date with relevant news, project and events.  

If you have any other questions regarding the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and how it affects farmers and landowners, please contact our Farm Liaison Officer via grow-nature@cornwall.gov.uk