Nottinghamshire County Council: New nature reserves

• Council: Nottinghamshire County Council

• Project name: Five new local nature reserves

• Location: Nottinghamshire

• Purpose: Nottinghamshire County Council created a Corporate Environment Strategy to set out the actions needed to protect and enhance the natural environment. One part of the action plan focuses on nature and heritage conservation and pledges to designate a tranche of local nature reserves from the council’s green spaces portfolio. The council decided to create the new nature reserves to boost biodiversity and wellbeing amongst residents.

• Description: The county already has 67 local nature reserves, of which six are owned by the council. The council was keen not to increase costs on local council taxpayers, so the council has used land it already owns and is switching its management to create nature reserves in five new locations. And the council is working with Natural England on a consultation on how the reserves can best serve wildlife. The five new nature reserves have a large geographical spread so that residents from across Nottinghamshire have access to good quality green spaces.

• Conservative councillor/council lead: Environment Ambassador, Cllr Mike Adams and Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, Cllr Neil Clarke MBE.

• Further links: Nottinghamshire County Council write up and BBC News write up.