September 26th, 2024.



An LDC Cabinet councillor has praised the council’s ‘excellent achievements’ in championing nature recovery after next steps for a new collaborative strategy were approved.

Councillor Emily O’Brien, (pictured), Cabinet Member for Climate, Nature and Food Systems, made the comments following today’s Cabinet meeting, when councillors supported the creation of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy to help nature and wildlife across East Sussex, Brighton & Hove.

She explained: “While we are our fortunate to live in such a beautiful area with many wildlife species, it is a sad fact that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

“This decline has long been recognised at Lewes District Council and together with partners, we have been taking decisive action across a wide range of nature recovery projects for some years and I am very proud of our excellent achievements to date, although there is still a long way to go.”

Lewes District Council nature recovery activities have included:

- Delivering natural flood management projects with Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust (OART) since 2017.


- Creating a new 6.8 hectare wetland in Lewes through the Cockshut (pictured) chalk stream restoration.


- Enabling nature recovery of chalk downland through the Changing Chalk project.


- Using beneficial pollinator and biodiversity practices on council land.


- Supporting community nature, wildflower and tree planting projects through Ouse Valley Climate Action and Climate Hubs.


- Reducing the frequency of grass cutting at Lewes cemetery which has improved biodiversity and led to the discovery of rare bees.


- Supporting the Wilder Ouse partnership project which has seen 4,512 trees and 700 metres of hedging planted and 23 ponds either created or restored in the Ouse catchment.


- Buying land at Landport Brooks and working with partners to realise benefits including biodiversity enhancements and natural flood alleviation.


Cllr O’Brien added: “We are committed to building upon the fantastic nature recovery work that is already underway, and this is being enshrined in the new Local Plan with policies to preserve and enhance the natural environment of Lewes district.”

With one in six UK species at risk of extinction, Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are a new initiative being rolled out across the country to address the national decline in species, creating a network of 48 regions in the UK. East Sussex County Council is leading on our county’s LNRS with Lewes District Council a supporting authority.

Local groups and organisations are encouraged to add their nature improvement activities to an online map HERE.



A public consultation on the draft LNRS will take place in early 2025.