Local plan and strategy reviews

The National Planning Policy Framework requires Local Plans to contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment. Consequently, the county’s local planning authorities have already identified priorities and plans for biodiversity.

In setting the criteria for the priorities that the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy would include, it was agreed that one of the considerations should be aligning with common and consistent priorities from existing and emerging Local Plans across the county.

In addition, where ambitions within Local Plans and associated strategies were more detailed, this information provided an outline action on which potential measures could be based.

This approach would help find the balance between producing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy that is not only ambitious but also deliverable, by working with existing local policy frameworks and the delivery mechanisms for nature recovery that they provide. It was also an opportunity to identify opportunities for collaborative and focused action, where priorities aligned.

A thorough review of the Strategy area’s Local Plans and other relevant strategies was undertaken.