In its Natural Environment White Paper, Government recognised that partnership working was key to delivering our ambitions for the natural environment at a local level and set out our vision for Local Nature Partnerships:

“In developing this White Paper, we have received one particularly clear message: effective action to benefit nature, people and the economy locally happens when the right people come together in partnership”

“We will encourage and support Local Nature Partnerships where local areas wish to establish them.  These partnerships will work at a strategic scale to improve the range of benefits and services we get from a healthy natural environment.  They will aim to improve the multiple benefits we receive from the good management of the land.”

Latest news

• February 2012:  Application update.  See below for further details
• January 2012: List of successful applicants to the LNP capacity building fund published

What are Local Nature Partnerships?

The vision for LNPs is that they are self-sustaining strategic partnerships of a broad range of  local organisations, businesses and people.  They will help their local area to manage the natural environment as a system and to embed its value in local decisions for the benefit of nature, people and the economy.

The overall purpose of an LNP will be to:

• Drive positive change in the local natural environment, taking a strategic view of the challenges and opportunities involved and identifying ways to manage it as a system for the benefit of nature, people and the economy.
• Contribute to achieving the Government’s national environmental objectives locally, including the identification of local ecological networks, alongside addressing local priorities.
• Become local champions influencing decision-making relating to the natural environment and its value to social and economic outcomes, in particular, through working closely with local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Health and Wellbeing Boards.

Government is keen that LNPs form in the most appropriate way for their area and we therefore won’t be setting out detailed guidance about how an LNP should work.  Instead, we  have worked with stakeholders to identify some key ways of working that are likely to be an important part of being an effective LNP.

To fulfill the above role, an effective LNP is likely to need to:

• Develop a shared strategic vision and set of priorities for the restoration and enhancement of their local natural environment at a landscape scale, focusing on outcomes that integrate economic and social as well as environmental needs.
• Have a broad membership that includes active involvement of economic, health and environmental interests and a range of public, private, NGO and local community organisations, including Local Authorities and those directly involved with land management.
• Have effective and accountable governance and leadership, including the ability to effectively engage and collaborate with people at a senior level in local organisations and involve local communities in the role of the LNP and its vision.
• Be sufficiently influential and knowledgeable to be able to raise awareness of the value of the natural environment and the range of services it provides with local decision makers.
• Have a good overview of the range of activities and partnerships concerned with the sustainable management of the natural environment in their area and work collaboratively to build on what’s working well and co-ordinate action to deliver integrated outcomes for priority issues.

We envisage about 50 LNPs forming across the country and want them to be large enough to add value at a strategic scale, but small enough to be manageable.  We want LNPs to establish the most appropriate boundary for their area, whether it is ecological, administrative or a mixture of both.

We plan to announce the first LNPs in summer 2012.  Further information about applying for LNP status can be found below.

Applying to become an LNP

We plan to open applications for LNP status by the end of March 2012 for a period of 8 weeks.  Applications will then be assessed and we plan to announce the first LNPs in summer 2012.

We know that effective partnership working of this sort takes time and energy to make happen.  We don’t expect partnerships to be fully formed or to have developed detailed visions when they apply to be an LNP.  The application form will be short and the questions in it will be broad and open.   We will not be looking for ‘right’ answers, but evidence that the partnership understands the LNP role and has credible plans for delivering it in their particular area.

When applications open we will set out the criteria we will use to assess applications alongside instructions for submitting an application.

Applications will be open to all, whether or not capacity building funding was received.

Funding

A one-off LNP capacity building fund was made available in 2011 and has now closed.  A list of all successful applicants to the fund (pdf) has been published.

Future plans

In late 2012, we will host a Ministerial event (to be repeated annually) at which the first recognised LNPs can come together to share best practice, highlight delivery issues and celebrate success.  We will also maintain an LNP database on the internet.  Further updates will be available in due course.

Background

Local Nature Partnerships are a key Natural Environment White Paper commitment.  During the development of the white paper, stakeholders asked for something that would enable local areas to work in a joined up and strategic way to help manage the natural environment to produce multiple benefits for people, the economy and the environment. This ‘ask’ echoed conclusions of the independent UK National Ecosystem Assessment, which emphasised the need for an integrated, landscape-scale approach to managing the natural environment.  Government responded by committing to “encourage and support Local Nature Partnerships where local areas wish to establish them”

Contact

For more information, contact LNPs@defra.gsi.gov.uk