Our Nature – Strategy Area Description
The purpose of the strategy area description is to inform the nature recovery priorities for the county by understanding our natural resources in the context of local and national significance, the pressures and challenges within the county and the opportunities for recovery and enhancement that may exist.
To develop the Kent & Medway Strategy area description, we will be considering:
- the breadth of habitats in Kent and Medway and their distribution across the county.
- habitats of local and national importance and those that support scarce or declining species.
- changes in the distribution and extent of habitats and those lost, or at risk of loss, from the county.
- species, or groups of species, for which the strategy area is, or could feasibly be, of national importance.
- changes in the distribution and range of species and those lost, or at risk of loss, from the county.
- existing, and anticipated, influences on species and habitats, including (but not limited to) the impact of a changing climate, housing and infrastructure pressures, land use changes, invasive/non native species, pests and diseases.
- opportunities to positively influence species and habitats, as not all influences will have a negative impact.
- wider environmental issues affecting Kent that the Strategy could help to address.
We will also be identifying what nature recovery and enhancement projects and action is already being delivered or planned and any other strategic projects that may provide opportunity or conflict.
In Kent and Medway, we’re fortunate to have a strong evidence base to enhance the national dataset provided for the development of the Strategy – this includes the State of Nature Report, Kent Biodiversity Strategy and Kent Habitat Survey. But we know that there is a wealth of other data and expertise in the county that can further strengthen and inform this work, so we will be looking for input from all partners and stakeholders.
Let us know what data, evidence and expertise you have to inform the project
Where are we up to?
We’re currently drafting our strategy area description and reviewing local plans and other strategies relevant to the LNRS in Kent and Medway.
We have also developed a mapping tool, so we can record what action for nature has been undertaken, is underway or is planned in the county – this will help us identify nature recovery opportunities to build on in the LNRS, so your contribution to this is vital. Let us know about your projects for Kent and Medway’s nature, no matter how big or small, by clicking on the link below and entering them into our Actions for Nature mapping tool.
If you need any help using the Actions for Nature mapping tool, we have have developed both a written guide and a video tutorial:
Indicative work timeline
Project outputs
Kent and Medway Strategy Area Description outline
Background information
State of Nature in Kent
This landmark report is available here and features over sixty contributors across seven chapters. It will be used to inform development of the Kent and Medway Nature Recovery Strategy.
Kent Biodiversity Strategy
The Kent Biodiversity Strategy, published in 2020, habitats that are thriving with wildlife and plants, ensuring the natural environment regain and retain good health. It provides a collaboratively developed, peer reviewed and publicly consulted set of priorities for the county's biodiversity that can be used as a starting point for discussion and an evidence base for the strategy area description.
Kent Habitat Survey 2012
The Kent Habitat Survey provides an assessment of the county's habitat distribution, change and connectivity/fragmentation. Although over 10 years old it still provides an excellent source of information that can be used to inform the Strategy.
