West Yorkshire Combined Authority – Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Between October 2023 and April 2024 Nifty, together with Street Space, was delighted to be working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to help them understand what farmers and landowners in West Yorkshire think about supporting nature.
As part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s ongoing work to develop a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for the region, our research captured the voices and perspectives of farmers and landowners to ensure their views help shape the emerging strategy. The ultimate aim is to support the development of the strategy to create landscape scale nature recovery.
Throughout the project we used creative methods to engage with and listen to farmers and landowners. We interviewed landowners across the region, took part in events, created soundbites, explored examples and case studies to identify key themes around opportunities for and barriers to change. The final report and showcase reflect the diverse perspectives, challenges and opportunities farmers and landowners. We learned that there is a lot already happening to restore and regenerate habitats and heard that farmers and landowners care deeply about the land they farm or manage. We also heard that whilst they are keen to explore ways to improve prospects for nature in West Yorkshire, they face significant challenges in doing so including balancing the different uses of land (e.g., food production, carbon off setting, housing, sport and leisure, access to nature, utilities…) in ways that ultimately support nature at scale.
As part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s ongoing work to develop a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for the region, our research captured the voices and perspectives of farmers and landowners to ensure their views help shape the emerging strategy. The ultimate aim is to support the development of the strategy to create landscape scale nature recovery.
Throughout the project we used creative methods to engage with and listen to farmers and landowners. We interviewed landowners across the region, took part in events, created soundbites, explored examples and case studies to identify key themes around opportunities for and barriers to change. The final report and showcase reflect the diverse perspectives, challenges and opportunities farmers and landowners. We learned that there is a lot already happening to restore and regenerate habitats and heard that farmers and landowners care deeply about the land they farm or manage. We also heard that whilst they are keen to explore ways to improve prospects for nature in West Yorkshire, they face significant challenges in doing so including balancing the different uses of land (e.g., food production, carbon off setting, housing, sport and leisure, access to nature, utilities…) in ways that ultimately support nature at scale.
