Help nature recover in Greater Manchester

We asked people for their views on a range of environmental issues to help shape Greater Manchester’s first Local Nature Recovery Plan.

This Nature Recovery Plan will be a blueprint for the future of Greater Manchester’s natural environment and local wildlife. It will set out what needs to be done to restore declining species and habitats, and give nature the best chance to recover. Specifically, the plan will:

• Map the most valuable existing habitats for nature
• Agree priorities for nature recovery
• Help identify where funding is most needed
• Help us sustainably manage and restore nature
• Identify new green opportunities for the city-region

We received 1087 responses to this consultation.

90% of respondents felt that a range of measures to help nature recover in Greater Manchester were “fairly important” or “very important”. These measures ranged from creating more urban green space, to introducing new areas of protected sites and protecting vulnerable wildlife and habitats.

A significant majority of responses also felt that Greater Manchester was facing a range of challenges with respect to nature, including air quality, climate change, species decline and encroachment of new developments.

97% of respondents were “fairly concerned” or “very concerned” about the future of nature in Greater Manchester. We also received a high number of suggested sites that respondents felt could be suitable for nature recovery.

The results of the survey have been reviewed by the Nature Recovery Plan project team, and along with our ongoing engagemnet work with stakeholders, have been used to formulate the Greater Manchester Nature Recovery Plan. 

This is almost complete and the Plan will be delivered to Defra by 28th May 2021.