New strategy maps out vision to enhance Staffordshire’s natural environment

Staffordshire County Council has developed a Natural Environment Strategy to set out how it will support wildlife and enhance the county’s natural environment. 

The aim of this strategy is to directly support nature recovery on council land and through council activities, and to act as a champion for activity across the county. 

Initiatives include ensuring all 1,404 hectares of council land designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest are on track to reach favourable condition, managing 30% of council land for biodiversity by 2030, transforming roadside verges into wildlife havens and expanding woodland for carbon storage and flood protection. 

The county council also plans to develop a suite of species recovery measures for its land by April 2025 including continuing with projects to restore and conserve native crayfish, adder, nightjar and rare insects at Cannock Chase. 

Cabinet member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change at SCC, Simon Tagg, said: “Staffordshire is a stunning rural county but, like much of the UK, nature is under pressure here too. We must act now to help nature recover. 

“That is why we have developed this Natural Environment Strategy, which sets out the actions we will take in the coming years to care for nature on our land and through our activities. This will form part of wider efforts across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, which will be identified through the local nature recovery strategy we are leading with our partners and stakeholders. 

“By helping nature, we are also helping ourselves. Nature provides important goods and services that support our wellbeing and quality of life. From the insects that pollinate our food crops, to trees storing carbon, nature is essential to us.” 

This strategy will help to deliver the Nature Recovery Declaration made by the county council in 2022, and duties under the Environment Act 2021.

It, furthermore, supports delivery of national and global targets to help the natural world regain and retain good health.  

The drafted strategy will be reviewed by SCC’s overview and scrutiny committee on Wednesday 13 December. The strategy, along with the committee’s comments, will then be put before cabinet members on 17 January 2024.