The results are in - what's next for nature?
By Charlotte Owen
Conservation Manager
Now that the dust has settled after the local elections and leadership roles have been assigned, we’re asking newly elected county councillors what’s next for nature recovery in Sussex?
It’s vital that our local decision makers recognise that nature is not just nice to have – it’s fundamental to our health, wellbeing and economy. We’re already facing significant challenges in Sussex with water quality and availability, flooding, wildlife decline and a changing coastline. To address these challenges, nature must be embedded in the heart of decision making so that local councils are taking action to protect and restore the natural world we all rely on.
This is even more important in the context of devolution and local government reorganisation, which will see major changes in Sussex over the next two years. Our district and borough boundaries will be changing to form new authorities, and a Sussex Mayor will be elected in 2028. We want to make sure that decision makers at every level recognise the value and importance of the natural world around us and that supporting nature’s recovery can benefit us all if we work together to make that happen.
We’ve set out six important steps all councils should take to drive forward a nature-focused approach:
- Put nature in all policies and appoint a named nature lead
- Embed the Local Nature Recovery Strategy in local plans and decisions
- Support Local Wildlife Sites and the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre
- Increase public access to nature
- Use nature-based solutions to fix local resilience
- Invest in nature to help coastal communities adapt to change
There’s more detail in this template letter, which you can use to contact your own local councillors to find out what they will be doing for the environment in your local area.
If you’re in West Sussex:
If you’re in East Sussex:
There are also newly elected councillors in Adur & Worthing Councils, Hastings Borough Council and Crawley Borough Council