Surrey Nature Recovery Strategy

Published 31st March 2026

The Surrey Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is now live.

Part 1: A description of the strategy area and its biodiversity (PDF) – A concise overview of the LNRS area, outlining its key landscapes, habitats, ecological features, and current biodiversity condition, providing the baseline context for recovery action.

Part 2: A statement of biodiversity priorities and species priority list (PDF) – The definitive list of priorities and potential measures that together will deliver a thriving, connected and wildlife-rich Surrey.

Part 3: The Local Habitat Map – An interactive map showing:

Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (APIB) – Areas already identified as being of particular importance for biodiversity, including nationally and internationally designated sites, local nature reserves, local wildlife sites, and irreplaceable habitats.
Areas that Could become of Importance for Biodiversity (ACIB) – The area outside of the APIB identified as having the potential to deliver the greatest benefits for nature if targeted potential measures are implemented, helping expand and connect existing high‑value habitats.
Potential Measures – Areas where proposed specific nature recovery actions should be delivered to best achieve LNRS priorities, identifying locations where targeted measures can restore or enhance biodiversity.

Map layers are available upon request and will be made available via Open Government Licence.

For any enquiries regarding the LNRS please get in touch using the contact form.

Page Contents

What is the Local Nature Recovery Strategy?

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is a new spatial strategy that identifies locations to improve nature and provide wider environmental benefits, such as carbon sequestration, flood regulation and access to nature-rich spaces where this is most needed for health and wellbeing.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy:

Part 1: A description of the strategy area and its biodiversity (PDF) describes the strategy area, its core habitats and the key threats and pressures.

Part 2: A statement of biodiversity priorities and species priority list (PDF) sets out priorities and potential measures for nature’s recovery.

Part 3: The Local Habitat Map maps the most valuable existing areas for nature and maps specific measures for creating and improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals.

Required by law under the Environment Act 2021, every county in England will produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. These strategies will work together to create a nationwide Nature Recovery Network to restore, create and connect habitats across England.

Decisions about where and how to recover nature have been reached through consultation with a wide range of people and groups in each county, from ecologists and community groups to health professionals and local businesses.

The LNRS links in with Biodiversity Net Gain, which is a new planning requirement to ensure habitat for wildlife is in a better state than it was before development. Read more about Local nature recovery strategies.

Why does Surrey need a Local Nature Recovery Strategy?

Surrey supports an amazing diversity of landscapes and wildlife, from ancient woodland and treasured chalk downlands to large expanses of open heathland and beautiful historic parklands. Surrey is also home to the Surrey Hills and High Weald National Landscapes, which have internationally important habitats. This impressive nature makes Surrey a highly attractive place for people to live and for businesses to locate.

This nature underpins our lives. From street trees to rivers, nature in Surrey provides us with food, water and clean air. Walks in nature help us stay physically and mentally healthy, and urban and rural wildlife sightings bring joy to many people.

However, we’ve witnessed a deterioration in the health of Surrey’s natural environment due to complex factors, including pollution, pesticide use, diseases, loss of traditional land management practices and climate change.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Surrey will help us reverse this nature loss by setting out where and how to manage land and water to create a network of nature-rich sites which are bigger, better managed and joined-up across the county and across the country.

Who funded the preparation of the strategy?

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provided funding to support the development of Local Nature Recovery Strategies. Ongoing support for transitioning the strategy to delivery has also been granted by DEFRA.

How will this strategy be delivered?

As the Responsible Authority (RA), Surrey County Council is required to produce the LNRS, supported by partners and stakeholders. Turning this strategy into a reality and delivering a thriving and biodiverse Surrey is going to require the work of everyone.

Following publication, the RA will have a role in enabling and encouraging the delivery of the LNRS across the county through four main workstreams:

Leading and convening a partnership focussed on delivering the Strategy, working with Surrey Nature Partnership.
Ensuring the LNRS is taken account of in other strategies and policy development.
Identifying strategic projects and facilitating project development.
Monitoring and reporting on delivery of LNRS priorities.

What is the role of Surrey Nature Partnership?

We have been a key partner throughout the public engagement and consultation phases and are now shifting our focus to enable the successful delivery of the LNRS in Surrey.

We are delighted to be a key partner enabling first the strategy and now the delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Surrey. With a strong history of leading and convening people and organisations across the county, we know that meaningful progress happens when we work together with shared purpose. The LNRS arrives at a pivotal moment for nature, providing the focus, ambition, and collaborative framework needed to restore and enhance Surrey’s natural environment for generations to come.

Lisa Creye-Griffin, Director, Surrey Nature Partnership

How was the strategy produced?

During 2024 we undertook a broad programme of workshops and hosted an online survey to gather your thoughts on the priorities for nature recovery in Surrey. Insights from Local Nature Recovery Strategy Workshops, combined with an assessment of existing key policies and strategies, resulted in the draft LNRS.

Consultation Response

The draft LNRS underwent a full public consultation in Summer 2025. These are the primary themes emerging from that consultation and the subsequent changes made to the strategy (PDF)

Steering Group

The development of the Surrey LNRS was supported by a steering group comprised of key partners and stakeholders. The steering group is chaired by Surrey County Council’s Director for Environment.

The following organisations are members of the steering group:

Each District and Borough in Surrey has a critical role in the development of the LNRS as Supporting Authorities

Will the strategy be reviewed?

The LNRS will be reviewed and republished every 3–10 years. At each review, RAs will be required to map the nature recovery actions that have been delivered.

How do I get involved?

We want everyone in Surrey to contribute to the delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, conserving and enhancing our precious habitats and species.

Over the coming year we will be producing a series of supporting materials to provide best practice guidance and opportunities for nature recovery.

To keep up to date sign up to the Surrey Nature Partnership newsletter or visit Surrey Wildlife Trust.

How does the LNRS interact with Biodiversity Net Gain?

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development and land management that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was before. Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 makes it mandatory for all non-exempt developments requiring planning permission to demonstrate a 10% net gain in biodiversity.

The LNRS impacts BNG through a strategic significance multiplier that provides a ‘boost’ to the unit value of habitats where they are identified within the LNRS Local Habitat Map.

To qualify for high strategic significance the habitat enhancement must meet the following criteria:

The location of the habitat parcel has been mapped in the Local Habitat Map as an area where a potential measure has been proposed to help deliver the priorities of that LNRS
The proposed intervention is consistent with the mapped potential measure in the LNRS for the habitat parcel

To aid with the interpretation of strategic significance potential relevant BNG habitats have been identified against each measure in the Statement of Biodiversity Priorities, however, final judgement on the interpretation of the LNRS is the responsibility of the planning authority and planning officers. The Statutory User Guide provides more information on BNG and Strategic Significance (PDF).

If you have any questions about the LNRS, any of the information on this page or data you think it would be helpful for us to have, please get in touch using the contact form.

Contact the Surrey Nature Recovery Team

This request and your data will be sent to the Surrey Nature Recovery Team at Surrey County Council – by submitting this form your data will become subject to their Privacy Policy.

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