Nature Based
| Ref | Workstream / activity | Project Stage | How success will be measured | Delivery organisation | Possible partners | Delivery timescales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NB1 | Development of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Coventry in line with the Environment Act 2021. This is a spatial strategy which must agree priorities for nature's recovery, will map the most valuble existing areas for nature alongside specific proposals for creating or imrpoving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals. which will which will inform priority areas of focus and opportunities for nature recovery | Already underway | 1) Completion of Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Coventry | West Midlands Combined Authority | CCC and key partners such as Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, Natural England, Canal and Rivers Trust, Severn Trent and neighbouring authorities, alongside landowners and community groups. | End of 2025 |
| NB2 | Development of a Green and Blue Plan for Coventry, based on data and supported by overarching principles for delivery which will provide a more strategic approach to land planning and unlock sites for nature, alongside improving access to green space. This will be informed by the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and include a database of the City's land assets and their potential nature conservation value. This should begin with a city-wide, in-depth species and habitat survey, which uses up-to-date information to assess the existing state of our land and the opportunities for enhancements. This will inform decisions on land use targets, such as managing 30% of our land for nature and should prioritise addressing inequalities in green space and ecosystem service distribution. | Early development | 1) Political approval of a Green and Blue Plan for Coventry; 2) Development of green and blue data base, which will be presented as an interactive map on the Council website 3) Detailed baseline habitat survey for Coventry |
Coventry City Council | working with Nature-Based Pathway Group, support from WMCA as part of Local Nature Recover Strategy and wider work with 3rd sector organisations such as Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation (Warwickshire) etc. and the voluntary sector | End of 2025 (in line with Local Nature Recovery Strategy) |
| NB3 | To develop an approach for monitoring biodiversity and habitat quality changes over time to enforce biodiversity net gain and ensure we progress in our aims to enhance green infrastructure and address inequalities in access to high-quality natural green spaces. Need to also relate to private gardens and community allotments to residents can support. |
Early development | 1) The production of a biodiversity progress report | Coventry City Council | working with Nature-Based Pathway Group, support from WMCA as part of Local Nature Recover Strategy and wider work with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and University of Warwick/Coventry University | End of 2025 (in line with statutory reporting duty) |
| NB4 | Produce a natural capital prospectus for Coventry, to include development of natural capital pipeline, financial models and obtain partner support, as part of WMCA's Local Investment in Natural Capital Programme | Early development | 1. Development of natural capital pipeline; 2. Launch of a natural capital prospectus; 3. Investment in natural capital schemes from both public and private sectors |
West Midlands Combined Authority | Coventry City Council, with support from Nature Based Pathway Group and key partners inc Natural England | Prospectus by end of 2025; Invesment up to 2030 |
| NB5 | Continue development of partnership projects to improve biodiversity and create habitat across the City, building on success of Sherbourne Valley project. This could include developing a similar programme for the River Sowe Corridor, where there are aspirations to create an urban country park and better connect communities along the corridor, including UHCW and community hubs. | Already underway | 1. Investment secured for new projects; 2. Number of projects delivered; 3. Increase in biodiversity |
Coventry City Council | Support from Nature Based Pathway Group, Climate Change Board, key partners such as UHCW and community and voluntary groups | 2024-2030+ |
| NB6 | Delivery of the city's Urban Forestry Strategy, planting 360,000 trees across the city. This should particularly target areas where there is less green space and tree coverage, and will be delivered by a mix of tree planting in green spaces and through street-trees in more urban built up areas. As part of this, the Council needs to continually review maintenance to promote retention of healthy trees and use planning policy to ensure trees aren't lost to development. | Already underway | 1. Number of trees planted; 2. Increase in total number of city's trees (through planting and retention); 3. Increase of tree canopy cover from 11% towards 20% 4. Provide equity in the delivery and distribution of tree canopy cover |
Coventry City Council | Investors, land owners, local businesses, communities and individuals | 2032 |
| NB7 | Nature Based Research To continue to work closely with local academic experts at Coventry University and the University of Warwick to integrate best practice approaches to green infrastructure enhancements, develop funding bids and research projects | Already underway | 1. Investment secured for new projects; 2. Number of projects delivered; 3. Increase in biodiversity |
Coventry City Council | Coventry University, University of Warwick and other partners as appropriate | 2024-2030+ |
| NB8 | To encourage opportunities to improve water quality in Coventry in line with the requirements of The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 through methods such as deculverting, renaturalising where possible in existing water bodies and through robust influence over new development. | Already underway | 1.Improvement of the quality of watercourses in the city; 2. Amount of investment in river restoration and enhancement schemes; |
Coventry City Council | Support from external partners such as Severn Trent, Environment Agency, Canal and River Trust and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust | 2024-2030+ |
| NB9 | To implement conservation management techniques in parks and open spaces where opportunities exist to improve biodiversity and encourage community engagement in wildlife conservation activities. | Already underway | 1. Number of parks and green spaces where conservation measures are implemented; 2. Number of volunteers involved in supporting conservation activities |
Coventry City Council | Volunteers incuding community groups friends of park groups, residents and business community | 2024-2026+ |
| NB10 | To create green corridors across the city to support nature, through a mix of features incuding street trees, green walls and roofs, bee-friendly bus stops, wildflower meadow areas within the adopted highway , rain gardens and sustainable urban drainage systems aiming to address inequalities in access to greenspace and achieve Natural England ANGST targets. | Early development | 1. Number of schemes delivered across the city 2. Extent of new green space created 3. Number of schemes delivered in areas with poor access to green space 4.Uplift in areas where ANGST targets are achieved |
Coventry City Council | Businesses, developers, households, Transport for West Midlands, bus operators, community groups | 2024-2030+ |
| NB11 | Landscape-scale natural restoration project - To seek out landscape-scale restoration through the creation and long-term enhancement of woodlands, grasslands and river corridors, creating new nature reservces and improving exisitng to support the aims of managing 30% of our land for nature by 2030 in conjunction with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Larger projects are likely to involve collaboration with neighbouring local authorities and partners. | Early development | 1. The implementation of a landscape scale project 2. Biodiversity Net Gain units created |
Coventry City Council | Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Nature Based Pathway Group, investors, neighbouring local authorities | 2024-2026+ |
| NB12 | Training and Skills across CCC To engage a variety of departments across the local authority in how their actions and means of delivering services can impact biodiversity to identify opportunities for nature-based integration. This will be done through training and developing new policy guidance, alongside more sustainable procurement. | Not yet commenced | Use of TOMs framework to demonstrate value added | Coventry City Council | Nature Based Pathway Group | 2025-2026+ |
| NB13 | Community involvement To encourage and stimulate opportunities for communities to engage with ecosystem restoration and conservation activities, such as tree or bulb planting, and citizen science events like the City Nature Challenge. Biodiversity enhancement events should be highlighted through onsite interpretation, the Council website, and social media. | Already underway | 1. Number of engagement and awareness campaigns; 2. Number of sign ups to campaigns; 3. Number of participants at events |
Coventry City Council | Nature Based Pathway Group, Community and voluntary groups, residents and businesses | Ongoing |
| NB14 | Training and skills - citywide To upskill existing staff and volunteers in the management of green spaces for nature, including developing training in conservation management skills, which can be implemented in parks and areas of open space in Coventry. Includes Friends of Groups in parks and other community voluntary gorups. | Not yet commenced | 1. Launch of training programme; 2. Number of staff and volunteers that have undertaken training; 3. Qualifications gained by participants |
Coventry City Council | Support from partners such as Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and Garden Organic | 2025-2026 |
| NB15 | To promote positive and sustainable individual action, such as attracting wildlife to private gardens, growing food at home and composting. This will be done through educational materials and training opportunities. | Not yet commenced | 1. Nature campaigns for targeted action; 2. Number of sign ups to campaigns; |
Nature Based Pathway Group to coordinate campaigns, with organistions contributing including CCC and our Outdoor Education team, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Severn Trent, Garden Organic, Canal and Rivers Trust | Led by residents and community groups, RSPB | 2025-2027 |
| NB16 | Schools National Park Support schools with DfE scheme to create a national park across the country's schools estate. Project will require us to continue to work with schools on developing wildlife areas, as well as cross-curricular teaching and promoting the appreciation and understanding of biodiversity and nature-based issues. | Already underway | 1. The development of a nature-based education programme; 2. Number of schools participating in programme; 3. Uplift in biodiversity achieved across the city's schools |
Coventry City Council Outdoor Education team | Department for Education Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Severn Trent, Garden Organic and Canal and Rivers Trust | 2025-2027 |
| NB17 | Tiny Forests Delivery of a network of 'tiny forests' across Coventry, which are small but dense areas of woodland which support biodiversity | Funding preliminarily secured | Number of tiny forests delivered, number of trees planted | Coventry City Council and Earthwatch | Community and volunteer groups | 2025-2028 |
| NB18 | Ensure that new development supports nature through strengthening local planning policy via the Local Plan Review. This will build on the existing biodiveristy net gain supplementary planning guidance and ensure new developments incorporate measures to support local nature recovery e.g. inclusion of swift bricks,controlling nature of LED lighting, bat boxes, alongside wider green and blue infrastructure measures through biodiversity net gain. | Already underway | 1. Adoption of revised Local Plan | Coventry City Council | Developers, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB | 2025-2030+ |