Plans unveiled to help protect green spaces and wildlife across West Midlands
The West Midlands Local Nature Recovery Strategy sets out 62 actions to boost sites of nature
A plan to protect and enhance green spaces and wildlife across the West Midlands has been unveiled.
The West Midlands Local Nature Recovery Strategy sets out 62 actions to boost sites of nature and improve health, wellbeing, and prosperity of communities and businesses.
They include restoring wildlife habitats, improving the region’s rivers and iconic canals, planting more trees, and opening more urban green spaces for people to enjoy.
The aim is to boost biodiversity, improve quality of life, help adapt to climate change, and create green jobs.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has developed the strategy in partnership with local councils and environmental organisations, community groups, businesses, schools and colleges, universities, landowners, farmers and developers.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: “Our region has one of the country’s most distinctive landscapes, with a unique mosaic of industrial heritage, iconic canals, vibrant urban centres, parks, rivers, nature reserves and millions of trees.
“Spaces such as Sutton Park, Saltwells Nature Reserve and Sandwell Valley are the heart and the lungs of our towns and cities: clean, green spaces where people can connect with nature, learn and play, and do a whole range of activities that benefit health and wellbeing.
“We must treasure all of our natural assets because they have the power to drive a more prosperous, healthier, and more attractive West Midlands.
“This strategy will help ensure our natural spaces survive and thrive for generations to come.”
The Mayor launched the strategy during a visit to a restoration project on a section of the River Rea on the edge of Birmingham city centre.
Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust is working with the Environment Agency to re-naturalise the river.
This will help prevent flooding and boost wildlife, with the longer-term aim of bringing the native brown trout fish back to the river.
The West Midlands Nature Investment Hub will go live next year to support the Mayor’s plan to pour up to £100 million of private and public sector funding into hundreds of environmental projects across the region.
The WMCA has already provided £1.6 million to support more than 50 community led environment projects.
Collectively, these have improved access to green space for more than 500,000 residents, restored 245,000 square metres of wildlife habitats (an area the size of 35 football pitches), and created 260 jobs and opportunities for local people to learn green skills.