Greater Manchester Combined Authority is in the process of producing the first Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), building on the fantastic work of our pilot in 2021.
Inayah Hussain, Management Trainee at the GMCA, offers an overview of feedback we received from our recent LNRS project survey.
What did we do?
In February, we launched our first ‘Plan for Nature’ survey to gather public input into Greater Manchester’s LNRS. The survey reached out to residents, community groups, charities, commercial organisations, farmers and landowners to gather diverse perspectives from across the region. We held events and meetings around the city-region to gather input, alongside the option to give input digitally via our GM Consult website. The survey sought views on the current state of the natural environment across the city-region, alongside what respondents thought a more nature-friendly Greater Manchester should look like and their suggested actions for the plan.
The feedback you gave us will be crucial in shaping priorities and guiding decisions on practical interventions across Greater Manchester – so a big thank you to everyone who gave us their views!
With over 800 responses, there was plenty of data illustrating exactly how people feel about the state of nature across Greater Manchester.
Your view of the overall state of nature in Greater Manchester
The results from the survey show that most residents in Greater Manchester consider the state of nature to be poor, followed by moderate. This shows that there is a real need to improve nature across Greater Manchester.
Actions that you are already seeing to support wildlife
When asked about what’s already being done for wildlife in Greater Manchester, most people mentioned community action, projects, and volunteering as the main activities. Using parks and public green and blue spaces and tree planting came next. It’s clear that the efforts of residents getting involved in projects and volunteering have made a real difference locally – and that more support for these activities would have a real impact.
The wildlife that you would like to see more of across the city-region
The survey found that residents of Greater Manchester wanted to see more action taken to support our most vulnerable wildlife. This includes hedgehogs, which are a vulnerable species right across our city region that 15% of respondents wanted to see more of. 5% of respondents wanted to see more beavers, birds, and bees, and 4% hoped to see more otters.
The top actions you would like to see included in our Plan for Nature
The top action people would like to see included is the creation and restoration of more green spaces and spaces for nature, the maintenance, protection, and enhancement of existing green and blue spaces for nature, further education and awareness raising, less development / increased protection of green spaces, and the creation of more woodlands and more tree planting.
What happens next?
The survey results really highlight how residents want to see an improved natural environment, boosted biodiversity, and more local action taking place right across the city-region. Your input and priorities are actively helping GMCA and partners shape the strategy, which will in turn show a path to a cleaner, more biodiverse, and healthier city region.
Did you miss our survey? Don’t despair! There will be more opportunities to contribute to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy – we’ll be running a public consultation on the strategy later this year, giving everyone a chance to have their say.
Stay updated with the latest progress by visiting our nature recovery webpage, and sign up to our GM Green City Newsletter mailing list to be the first to know when we go live with our public consultation.
