1. Local Nature Partnerships Exploring the Value of a Thames Gateway Approach Martin Hall martin.hall@gtgkm.org.uk Steve Matthews steve.matthews@emergentresearch.co.uk +44 (0)795 263 8922 Dr Jonathan Pratt Jonathan.pratt@emergentresearch.co.uk +44 (0)772 535 8933 1

2. Testing the Idea of a Thames Gateway Estuary & Parklands Local Nature Partnership 2 Identify interested parties “Warm-up” sessions: -Critique & discuss the Idea -What Ecosystem Services? Review potential resources & mechanisms available Workshops: -Ecosystem services -Opportunities & priorities Documentation & action plan Possible issues: -Overlap with other LNP proposals? -Links to other initiatives and partnerships? -Competing priorities? -Local politics? -Public sector resources stretched?

3. 3 Coalition Government White Paper, June 2011 Stakeholders Contacting 100-150 stakeholders from:  Local Authorities (ED, Planning)  Large businesses (Ports, utilities, mining & quarrying)  Landowners and Land Managers (Large estates, NFU, Wildlife Trusts, Wildfowlers etc)  Recreation, tourism and visitor economy (chambers, FSB, Visit Kent etc_  Health & Wellbeing (LAs, NHS, Volunteer organisations)  National arms-length partners (e.g. Natural England, Forestry Commission etc)

4. Local Nature Partnerships: What They Could Do 4 1. Demonstrate local leadership, raising awareness about the vital services and benefits which a healthy natural environment brings for people, communities and the local economy. (eg: champion the outdoors with Health & Wellbeing Board) 2. Develop a shared environmental vision and set of priorities for their area. (eg: environmental protection and enhancement for economic and social benefits, or improving local ecological networks at a landscape scale). 3. Contributing to local authority plans that affect the environment. (eg: after the new Planning laws) 4. Help contribute to the Green Economy (eg: by working with Local Enterprise Partnerships or promoting sustainable tourism).

5. Local Nature Partnerships: What They Could Do 5 5. Align efforts & make best use of resources by bringing together a range of local stakeholders (eg: aligning & pooling resources of local authorities, businesses, statutory authorities, civil society organisations, land managers to deliver environmental improvements). 6. Co-operate with other partnerships where this results in more efficient use of resources and better outcomes. (eg: Local Enterprise Partnerships) 7. Work at a landscape scale to improve the range of benefits and services we get from a healthy natural environment (eg: members supporting Nature Improvement Areas or biodiversity offsets pilots). 8. Form at a level that can take a strategic- enough approach to deliver integrated outcomes with a wide range of benefits, around the places, areas and natural systems that work best locally. (eg: Thames Gateway Estuary)

6. LNPs: Possible Activities (examples) 6  Provide governance for key initiatives, such as a new Natural Improvement Area and Thames Gateway Parklands schemes?  Advise on and shape local implementation of the National Planning Policy Framework, helping to make new developments in the area more sustainable?  Provide forum for developing, refining and embedding natural valuation tools into local decision making?  Co-ordinate projects to develop the area’s visitor economy potential by improving its natural assets?  Share learning on improvements in people’s health and wellbeing through increased access to nature, exercise and a healthy environment?