Westmorland and Furness Council is continuing to build momentum on its journey towards a greener, more wildlife-rich future, marking another year of progress made through its Nature Action Plan.
Since adopting the Nature Strategy and Action Plan in October 2025, the Council has continued to embed nature recovery and biodiversity enhancement across all areas of its work, from the way services are delivered to how decisions are made.
Through the Nature Action Plan, the Council is supporting the enhancement, restoration and creation of nature habitats across Westmorland and Furness, helping to deliver the Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy and deliver benefits for people, wildlife and place.
The Plan sets out a ten-year programme of actions across six key themes:
- Restore and connect habitats
- Recover species abundance and range
- Enhance beauty, heritage and engagement with nature
- Invest in natural capital
- Sequester carbon
- Manage risks
The Nature Action Plan was designed to be a living document, reviewed regularly and updated annually to ensure actions remain relevant and responsive. Over the following months, the Council will undertake the first annual review of the Nature Action Plan to assess progress, refine actions and where needed, strengthen the focus on delivery.
Across 2025/26, significant steps have been taken under each of the Plan’s six themes including:
- Funding the Council’s Nature Recovery Fund to enable four organisations or companies to undertake meaningful action for nature across Westmorland and Furness.
- Producing and delivering our Nature Literacy programme for Council officers and members.
- Continuing to plant one tree per resident with more than 150,000 trees planted to date representing 61% of the total required to achieve our goal.
- Delivering our ‘Noticing Nature’ engagement campaign to encourage engagement with the environment and action for nature.
- Encouraging contractors to use native climate-resilient species in new planting schemes.
- Working with National Education Nature Park and the Morecambe Bay Partnership to improve the biodiversity on school grounds.
- Publishing our weed management and invasive non-native species policies.
- Planting native flowers for pollinators in multiple locations in partnership with local communities and Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Our success has enabled us to be awarded Defra’s Bees’ Needs Champions for 2026.
- Exploring alternatives to chemical-based treatments of weeds on Council-owned land through weed management trials.
These steps have been supported by the agreement of several key strategies and delivery plans, including:
- Cumbria’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, led by Westmorland and Furness Council, acting as a blueprint for nature recovery across Cumbria.
- Climate Action Plans Part One and Two, aiming to help the area reach net zero by 2037 and the Council itself as soon as possible.
Councillor John Murray, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Regulatory Services, said:
"It's brilliant to see the positive progress being made through the Nature Action Plan. Protecting and restoring nature requires long-term commitment, strong partnerships and action at every level, and it's fantastic to see meaningful steps being taken across the area to support biodiversity, strengthen habitats and increase engagement with nature.”
Partnership working has remained central to progress, with the Council continuing to collaborate with a wide range of partners. This includes:
- Working with a range of partners to implement Cumbria’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy to generate investment in nature recovery.
- Supporting partners such as the Cumbria Local Nature Partnership to coordinate and drive action for biodiversity aligned to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
- Working in partnership with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre, Natural England, Cumberland Council, Lake District National Park Authority, and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to resurvey Cumbria’s County Wildlife Sites.
Alongside this, the Council is working to ensure that communities and organisations across the area remain part of a shared effort to increase biodiversity.
Councillor Murray, added:
“The Nature Action Plan provides an important framework for turning ambition into action, helping to create a greener, more resilient future for Westmorland and Furness. By working together, we can make a real difference and deliver lasting benefits for wildlife, communities and future generations."