Telford & Wrekin Council has a ‘biodiversity duty’ to act in the interest of biodiversity in carrying out all our activities. The Council has a team of Ecology and Green Infrastructure Specialists and Biodiversity Technicians who work as a consultee within the planning system, provide evidence to the Local Plan process and advise the Council in managing its own land for the interest of biodiversity.

Planning applications

If you are making a planning application then there is potential for protected and priority species and habitats to be impacted (depending on the site and proposals). It may be that a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) or Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) is required to support a planning application and detailed species surveys (e.g. for vascular plants, bats, great crested newts, dormouse, birds, otter or water vole) may also be required. Assessments of impacts upon designated sites may also be required in some cases.

View our Designated Sites Map

Biodiversity Net Gain

From 12 February 2024 a mandatory 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has come into force for major development. This has come into force under the Environment Act (2021) and requires further ecological assessment of habitats on development sites.

Further information can be found on our Biodiversity Net Gain page.

The best way to establish whether a PEA, EcIA, BNG Report or other ecological information is required is to use the Council’s Pre-application advice service. View information about pre-application advice.

Local Nature Recovery Strategy

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is a plan to recover and improve our natural environment for people and wildlife. It will help us to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises, and to improve our health, wellbeing and economy.

But we can't do it without your help. We need your input and support to make the LNRS a reality. Whether you own or manage land, run a business, work in the public sector, or just care about nature, you have a role to play in helping nature recover and we’d like to hear your views.

Public consultation on the draft LNRS has now launched and is now open until 15 October 2025, we encourage everyone to get involved and have their say.

Visit the Shropshire Council website to find more information about the LNRS consultation

Background

Telford & Wrekin Council are working alongside Shropshire Council to deliver an LNRS for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, with the support of Natural England. The strategy is one of 48 others being developed across England which will all knit together to cover the whole country as outlined in a DEFRA video.

We're working together with partners, landowners, farmers, environmental professionals, community groups, businesses and other stakeholders to develop a LNRS which will show where our most valuable areas for nature currently are, and explore the opportunities to restore, enhance, create and link wildlife throughout the area.

Our LNRS will provide the overarching plan of priorities to restore nature in our area and where this is best to happen, whilst also delivering wider environmental benefits such as better water quality and resilience to flooding. Organisations and individuals can then use the strategy to help deliver the overall plan in a coherent and collaborative way.