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Biodiversity Duty Report January 2026 Regional alignment

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council sits within the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) alongside six other local authorities (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Wolverhampton).

In June 2023, the Secretary of State appointed the WMCA as the ‘Responsible Authority’ to produce the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for the region. Local Nature Recovery Strategy requirement was set out in the Environment Act 2021. With 48 strategies to be produced across England to create a Nature Recovery Network.

Walsall Council acted as a ‘Supporting Authority’ and active member in the production of the West Midlands Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which was published in December 2025. The report was taken to Walsall’s Council Leader and development portfolio for agreement to be used as evidence based for future development.

WMCA LNRS To support the strategy at a local level, the strategy will be utilised:

  • to determine the strategic importance in relative to BNG and development
  • to direct and select conservational work within the Walsall Borough
  • to direct recommendations for offsite BNG mitigation.

The Black Country authorities (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton) commissioned Birmingham and the Black Country Wildlife Trust to produce the Black Country Local Nature Recovery Map and Strategy: An emerging approach which was endorsed by Walsall Council in October 2023. This provided interim evidence to guide conservational efforts, including habitat enhancement and creation, and to advise planning matters including strategy significance for BNG until the LNRS was published.