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Shropshire Unveils Strategy to Restore Wildlife and Habitats

Shropshire unveils its Local Nature Recovery Strategy to restore habitats, protect wildlife, and engage communities in addressing the county's nature crisis.

·6 min read
Getty Images A photograph of purple flowers blooming in Ashes Hollow on the Long Mynd. In the foreground, it's covered in purple heather, with ferns and bracken growing up the slopes of the hills. Into the distance, more hills can be seen with a similar patchwork of purple and green. A narrow gravel path stretches away into the distance. The sky is slightly overcast with patches of blue.

Plan to Restore Shropshire's Wild Spaces Unveiled

A comprehensive plan aimed at enhancing Shropshire's wild spaces has been introduced, focusing on habitat restoration and wildlife protection.

Under the Environment Act 2021, all local authorities are required to develop such plans to promote biodiversity and restore natural environments within their jurisdictions.

This initiative, known as a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), is the latest among 48 areas to outline its objectives.

Lynn Parker, coordinator of the project, stated, "Shropshire has things that we really want to protect," adding, "having the strategy means that we can focus our efforts."

Ellen Knight/BBC Photo of Lynn looking into the camera and smiling. She has shoulder-length light brown hair, and is wearing a white collared shirt and a silver necklace with a circular pendant. She is photographed in front of green, leafy trees, with dappled sunlight falling on her face. The sky, seen beyond the trees, is bright blue and clear.
Lynn Parker said Shropshire has "a bit of a nature crisis"

What is a Local Nature Recovery Strategy?

An LNRS represents a collaborative effort among numerous agencies, forming part of a new framework designed to map and facilitate a coordinated approach to nature recovery. It aims to contribute to building a national Nature Recovery Network.

This strategy is a component of the UK government's 25 Year Environment Plan, launched in 2018 with the goal of improving the nation's natural environment within a generation. The initiative is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

In Shropshire, the LNRS is led by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford and Wrekin Council, Natural England, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, and other agencies.

It is important to note that an LNRS does not have legal authority to compel landowners to implement changes; rather, it identifies areas where changes are ideally encouraged.

"Shropshire is like the rest of the UK - we've got a bit of a nature crisis," Parker said.

The LNRS provides a framework for agencies to concentrate their efforts, which Parker explained means,

"we can benefit all of those areas and species."

She also emphasized the importance local residents place on nature, noting that issues such as

"water management, flooding control, water quality, and climate"
have been highlighted as priorities by the community.

Councillor David Walker, representing Whittington on Shropshire Council, remarked that enhancing the county's natural environment could yield
"big economic benefits."

"Shropshire's a lovely place to live and work, but that doesn't mean there aren't things we can do to make it better," Walker added.

He further noted that

"tourism and other economic activity"
could be stimulated by thriving ecosystems.

Ellen Knight/BBC Walker pictured looking into the camera and smiling slightly. He is wearing a green, yellow, and white tartan shirt with a brown waxed gilet over the top. He is also wearing a light blue Shropshire Council-branded lanyard. He is stood in front of a row of bright green trees and bushes. The sky is bright blue and there is strong sunshine.
Walker said improving nature will help the local economy

Councillor Carolyn Healy, representing Ironbridge Gorge ward on Telford and Wrekin Council and cabinet member for planning, neighbourhoods and sustainability, stated the strategy
"sets out areas of opportunity"
and identifies locations
"where we can really enhance biodiversity."

She highlighted that Telford and Wrekin has

"a fantastic network of local nature reserves,"
and the plans will assist in
"help[ing] shape how we manage those areas as well."

Rob Trigg/BBC Photo of Healy looking into the camera and smiling. She has shoulder-length blonde hair and is wearing a red top with a grey blazer over the top. Out of focus, behind her, is a three-storey building with a row of parked cars in front of it. The sky is cloudy with patches of blue sky.
Councillor Carolyn Healy said Telford is "one of the greenest" towns

What habitats are there in Shropshire?

Shropshire is home to the Shropshire Hills, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), along with iconic landscapes such as the Wrekin and Ironbridge Gorge.

A wintery photograph of a river, with the Wrekin hill rising up in the distance, slightly obscured by cloud. The banks of the river are lined with trees and shrubbery, and the grass has a layer of frost on it. The sky is blue and slightly pink, suggesting the photo is taken near sunrise.
The Wrekin, seen here in the distance, is an iconic Shropshire landmark

The county also contains ecologically significant sites including Whixall Moss, the Rivers Severn, Clun, and Teme, as well as numerous Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

Additionally, Shropshire features unique habitats such as ffridd, a Welsh term describing an upland ecosystem composed of a mixture of bog, acid grassland, and bracken.

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The LNRS for Shropshire outlines 16 priorities, which include restoring hedgerows, peatlands, and wetlands, re-naturalising rivers, and protecting veteran trees.

A photograph taken on the top of the Long Mynd, with purple heather growing abundantly in the foreground. As the view stretches into the distance, more hills and ridges are visible, all covered in a patchwork of green, brown, and purple. The sky is slightly overcast but there is strong sunshine.
The Long Mynd is a heath plateau in the Shropshire Hills AONB

What about the wildlife?

The LNRS identifies 29 species requiring targeted protection efforts.

Mammals prioritized include dormice, hedgehogs, pine martens, and water voles.

Bird species named are the curlew, nightjar, dipper, lesser black-backed gull, and red grouse.

Among plants, only the green-winged orchid is listed, alongside numerous invertebrates such as the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly and the black darter dragonfly.

A photograph of a curlew - a large wading bird with light brown, white, dark brown, and black plumage. It has long, dark brown legs and a long, narrow beak. There are two curlews in the picture - the one further away from the camera is slightly out of focus. The birds are walking across green and brown boggy ground.
Once a common sight in Shropshire, curlew numbers have fallen in the 21st Century

Dave Cragg from Natural England commented, "there's a lot that needs to be done" to confront
"the global biodiversity crisis."

He acknowledged that

"there are definitely places where it is really good"
in Shropshire, citing the county's nature reserves and SSSIs.

Cragg emphasized the diversity of Shropshire's ecosystems, recalling

"those brilliant hills, the Stiperstones, the Long Mynd"
as well as
"bogs, fens, and a brilliant river system."

"It's got a bit of everything really."

Ellen Knight/BBC Dave pictured looking into the camera and smiling. He is wearing a blue and red checked shirt, with a black fleece jacket over the top. He has short grey hair and a short grey beard. He is pictured stood on the banks of a river, with bright green grass and trees with green leaves lining the watercourse. The sky is bright blue, with strong sunshine casting dappled light on the ground.
Dave Cragg said Shropshire's ecosystems were very diverse

What about the people living there?

The LNRS team has engaged with local communities over two years, conducting clinics across Shropshire and attending agricultural shows, among other outreach efforts.

A public survey was conducted during the early stages of the LNRS in summer 2024, followed by nature recovery conferences for town and parish councils later that year.

Shropshire Council reported being

"pleased with the response,"
noting that 3,782 comments were received during a 2025 consultation, which they claim is
"more than any other LNRS area to date."

Organizations such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) contributed to the consultation to ensure the strategy aligns with farmers' interests.

Approximately 84% of Shropshire's land area is used for farming.

A photograph of sheep grazing on the side of a hill in the Shropshire Hills. There are six sheep visible, all with white coats and black faces and legs. The grass they are grazing is bright green, and hills rise up in the distance on the horizon, covered in a patchwork of fields and woodland. The sky is blue and clear, with strong sunshine.
Farmland makes up a significant proportion of Shropshire's total land area

Kate Mayne, a farmer and chair of NFU Shropshire, worked closely with the project and emphasized that
"local idiosyncrasies... are really important to us as farmers."

She explained that by engaging with farmers during the consultation, they had

"the opportunity to identify what's right with it - but also what's wrong with it and to be able to kind of steer it."

Mayne highlighted that farmers can contribute significantly to the LNRS goals through actions such as

"creating more habitat through our amazing network of hedgerows"
around field boundaries.

She added,

"people in my industry are managing a very large proportion of the land,"
making it
"critical that we get the balance right between food production alongside nature."

NFU Photograph of Kate taken in front of two huge biogas tanks on her farm. She has chin-length blonde hair, and is wearing a blue jacket and a red, white, and blue scarf. The tanks behind her have dark green corrugated iron containing them, with a concrete floor on the ground.
Kate Mayne, Shropshire's NFU chair, said farmers were important to the success of an LNRS

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This article was sourced from bbc

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