Cornwall is to play a national role in helping the recovery of wildlife and nature across England.

The county has been chosen as one of just five in the UK to be part of a pilot scheme.

Cornwall Council will receive a share of a £1 million fund from Defra to launch a Local Nature Recovery Strategy, identifying the most valuable sites for wildlife and areas where nature can be restored.

This could see the creation of more wildflower habitats for pollinators, extra green spaces for residents and new woodlands, building on the council’s ambitious plans to plant an 8,000-hectare Forest for Cornwall over the next decade.

The pilot will sit alongside the authority’s climate change action plan to help Cornwall work towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030, with the aim being to ensure that the recovery of nature is prioritised alongside efforts to reduce impact on the climate.

Edwina Hannaford, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for climate change and neighbourhoods, said: "It will enable us to strengthen local partnerships as we continue our work in restoring nature, reducing carbon emissions and protecting and improving the environment for our residents.

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“We see this pilot as a stepping stone towards a greater appreciation of our natural places, reversing the decline in nature that has impacted on Cornwall, the UK and the world over many decades and placing the health and wealth of our environment on the same footing as economic and social wellbeing.”

She added that the council would work with a range of organisations such as the Cornwall and Tamar Valley AONBs (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) to add to the "tremendous work" already taken, helping support the county's economy and communities in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cornwall Council will lead one of five pilot projects across the country, along with Buckinghamshire Unitary Authority, Northumberland Unitary Authority, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Cumbria County Council.

The money will be used to develop a set of maps showing the most valuable existing sites and habitats for wildlife. These will be used to find ways to help recover nature there - for wildlife, people and to tackle climate change.

A broad range of groups will come together to agree the priorities.

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And this is only the first step. A forthcoming Environment Bill will require all areas in England to establish such as strategy, bringing everyone from farmers to businesses and local communities together.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “Coronavirus is shining a light on the importance of our natural world, and the positive impact nature can have on our health and well-being.

“These first pilots will be a key part of our green recovery and help kick-start the creation of over a million acres of joined up habitats that people can enjoy across the country.”

Natural England’s area manager Wesley Smyth welcomed the inclusion of Cornwall a pilot county, saying it was "a fantastic reflection of the environmental leadership shown by Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership."

Eventually around 500,000 hectares of wildlife habitat should be created or restored outside existing protected sites.