Annual Report 2020-21 INTRODUCTION Miles Davies/Sussex Wildlife Trust © Foreword About Sussex Nature Partnership 2020-21 has been an extraordinary year for many reasons. The planet Sussex Nature Partnership (SxNP) was formally established in 2014 and has been gripped by a global pandemic which has brought with it brings together more than 25 organisations in Sussex, across seven personal, economic and social impacts which will prevail for years to different sectors. Its purpose is to “work across sectors and organisations come. Meanwhile, the twin challenges of the climate and biodiversity to secure the healthiest ecological system possible thereby protecting and emergencies remain and the need to respond and act locally becomes enhancing the natural environment and all that it gives us”. ever more urgent. Sussex Nature Partnership and its members have Southerham Farm Nature Reserve Grazing worked exceptionally hard this year to find a way to work together and To enact this vision, the work of the Nature Partnership is guided by two add value – seeking to align with evolving policy around the recovery of high-level objectives: the natural environment and drive forward our work under 6 key themes. These themes reflect our focus on protecting and enhancing the natural 1 Conserve, enhance and expand Sussex’s natural capital capital of Sussex and ensuing that this Growth in natural capital is the fundamental pre-requisite for delivers benefits for people. Achievements enhancing the services provided by ecosystems and so underpins and activity under each theme are presented the economic and social well-being of Sussex. SxNP will promote in this first Annual Report and illustrate that the greening of the economy including the need to invest in nature despite the many constraints on working because of the many benefits and essential services it provides. together under COVID 19 restrictions, Sussex Nature Partnership has gone from strength 2 Ensure that Sussex residents share in the benefits provides by healthy, to strength and is developing a momentum well-functioning ecosystems and impact that is making a real difference The Nature Partnership will aim to improve the connection between at the local level. My heartfelt thanks to all people, their environment and the benefits they get from the our partners for their continued commitment environment. This will cover a broad spectrum of activities including to collaborative working and to those who health, well-being, social and economic areas. In order to deliver support the work of the partnership through growth in natural capital and share in the benefits of healthy their donations of time and funding. © Kate Rice ecosystems, the Nature Partnership will ensure that the evidence is collated to promote concepts, projects and initiatives that support the positive development of ecosystem services in Sussex. This will be shared across all sectors and audiences. Kate Rice Chair Sussex Nature Partnership: Front Cover Photos: Old Lodge Nature Reserve © Tom Lee/Sussex Wildlife Trust Natural Capital Strategy Manager, Southern Water Dark Green Fritillary © Simon Linington/Sussex Wildlife Trust Beach Education © Miles Davies/Sussex Wildlife Trust Old Lodge Nature Reserve © Sam Roberts/Sussex Wildlife Trust Sussex Nature Partnership | Annual Report 2020-21 2 Anchor Bottom Chalk Grassland (c) Victoria Hume Sussex Wildlife Trust CONTENTS Introduction 2 Meetings, Resources and › Foreword Communications 3 › Meetings, Resources and Communications Theme 1: Natural Capital 4 SxNP Board Meetings › Nature Recovery Networks and Local Nature Sussex Nature Partnership Board met Recovery Strategies four times during 2020-21: › Biodiversity Net Gain › 09 March 2021 › Planning Policy › 08 December 2020 › Local Wildlife Site Initiative › 06 October 2020 › Natural Capital Investment Strategy: › 30 June 2020 implementation 2020-21 Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all meetings this year have taken place online. Theme 2: A green economy 5 › Clean Growth Principles Funding › New partnerships During 2020-21 SxNP was supported by: › East Sussex County Council Theme 3: Natural health and well-being 6 › West Sussex County Council › Re-launch of working group › South Downs National Park Authority › Publicly owned greenspaces › Sussex Wildlife Trust Theme 4: Climate Change 7 Resources › Nature-based solutions for carbon sequestration East Sussex County Council continued to › Woodland Opportunity Mapping provide secretariat support for the Nature Partnership and expanded this role to Theme 5: LNP Leadership and Management 8 include administrative support for online › Executive Team events. Julie Middleton continued to work › Working Groups as policy lead for the Nature Partnership › Business Planning on a part-time consultancy basis. Theme 6: Collective action 9 Communication › South East Nature Partnership The branding and website for the › Other engagement and activity partnership are in the process of re-development with launch due early next Appendix 10 financial year. Sussex Nature Partnership › Natural Capital Investment Strategy, now has social media presence on both Implementation Progress Report 2020-21 Twitter and Instagram. Anchor Bottom Chalk Grassland © Victoria Hume/Sussex Wildlife Trust Sussex Nature Partnership | Annual Report 2020-21 3 THEME 1: NATURAL CAPITAL Protecting and improving the natural environment Nature Recovery Networks with existing spatial data sets to develop and Local Nature Recovery thoughts on a framework for mapping the key components of a nature recovery Strategies network for these areas. Engagement The Environment Bill worked slowly with the three local authorities will help through some of its parliamentary stages to identify how this information can be in 2020-21. Sussex Nature Partnership used by strategic planners to guide their remains committed to understanding how own work and to identify opportunities its key mechanisms might be implemented for delivery of habitat creation through in practice and to ensuring its members the planning process and on local Kelp © Dan Smale/Sussex Wildlife Trust Trust are fully briefed and prepared for authority landholdings. implementation once the time comes. It Project duration December 2020 – April 2021 Biodiversity Net Gain and the Planning Sussex Local Wildlife Sites also sees an opportunity to work with System, February 2021 >50 attendees Natural England and others to pilot local The Nature Recovery Network Working › Planning for Wildlife – delivering (LWS) Initiative application of the concepts contained Group was established in January 2021 biodiversity net gain through the This year saw the launch of the in the Bill and to influence emerging with Claire Kerr (South Downs NPA) taking planning system, 19 March 2021 Local Wildlife Sites System for Sussex government guidance as it is developed. the Chair. This working group is currently >170 attendees (spatial data management system) for developing its Statement of Purpose and a use by Record Centre Partners. 2020-21 thus saw the start of a priority set of priorities for 2021-22. Presentations from the webinars work strand around ‘Nature Recovery are available on the SxLNP The LWS Officer (employed by Sussex Networks’ and how these might be created Biodiversity Net Gain website: http://sussexlnp.org.uk/ WT and funded by SxNP partners) via ‘Local Nature Recovery Strategies’. This work strand also flows from the natures-recovery-and-net-gain continued to survey sites and update the emerging Environment Bill. The focus of information base. October 2020: SxNP contributed to the the Nature Partnership this year has been Planning publication of a set of Joint Principles to understand how the net gain approach The Nature Partnership submitted a 2020-21 update: 13 sites were removed as for Nature Recovery Networks across might be implemented in practice and to response to the government consultation LWS (no longer recognised); 40 new LWS the South East by South East Nature provide training and knowledge sharing on on Planning for the Future White Paper in were added and information was updated Partnership (SENP). These principles will this topic for local authorities. October 2020 and contributed to a joint for a further 95 LWS. help to underpin a coherent approach to South East Nature Partnership response to See https://lws-sussex.org.uk/ planning for nature recovery networks at Three online events were held aimed the same consultation. the regional level. primarily at local authority officers and Natural Capital Investment elected members: The Sussex Nature Partnership In December 2020 SxNP was commissioned › Biodiversity Net Gain and Nature ‘Neighbourhood Plan Guidance’ was Strategy – Progress by Natural England to carry out a small Recovery Networks, 11 December 2020 completed and published on the website in See the appendix for a brief progress mapping and engagement project with >75 attendees August 2020. report on elements of the Natural Capital three local authorities (Wealden DC, Rother › Presentation to Rother District Planning http://sussexlnp.org.uk/wp-content/ Investment Strategy (SxLNP 2019) DC and Eastbourne BC). This will work Committee and Parish Councils on uploads/2020/12/LNP-NP-guidance.pdf implemented this year. Sussex Nature Partnership | Annual Report 2020-21 4 THEME 2: A GREEN ECONOMY Nature and people working together Clean Growth Principles New Partnerships In May 2020, Sussex Nature Partnership In November, the LNP was asked to give worked with other LNPs across the