Public Consultation Reports

Thank you to everyone who participated in this consultation. Over 300 people and groups took part and there was lots of helpful feedback. It was great that so many were new to the Strategy, providing views that hadn’t been heard before. The consultation also attracted new feedback from groups that were involved in developing the Strategy across 2024.

KCC commissioned an independent organisation, Lake Market Research, to analyse the feedback and produce the consultation report. This report provides the findings of the consultation and can be found below.

You will also find a report below on KCC’s initial response to these findings and a consultation outcomes report. This provides a more detailed response to the findings, including the changes to be made to the Strategy. These decisions were made by the Species Recovery Technical Advisory Group; Data, Evidence and Mapping Technical Advisory Group; and the LNRS’ Delivery Group and Board who met on 26 and 27 June 2025. A record of all decisions taken at this meeting can be found in the meeting notes below.

The consultation showed broad support for Strategy’s principles, ambitions and priorities – but there were plenty of suggestions that will be acted on ahead of publication. Support was particularly high for the potential measures outlined in the Strategy.

You told us that the Strategy document needs to be easier to understand, so it will made shorter, easier to digest and navigate. Additional information will be provided alongside the Strategy, tailored to different audiences.

It is clear that a user-friendly online mapping tool is needed too, this will be developed with functions suggested by consultation feedback and with further input from end users.

A significant number of comments related to national matters that are outside KCC’s ability or position to address, such as housing development, funding and policy. These are all valid concerns that are being passed onto Natural England and Defra.

So, there is plenty of work to be done ahead of publication in the autumn, but the consultation findings have been invaluable and will be used to refine and improve the Strategy.