Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures that you could help to deliver on larger areas of land or when planning bigger projects within your community. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential Measure 1: River and stream re-naturalisation

This measure focuses on the nature recovery opportunities associated with re-naturalising watercourses and removing man-made barriers. These activities can be carried out at a range of scales, down to small streams and ditches. PM1 is mapped to some specific locations where projects could achieve considerable benefits, but the suggested actions could be delivered anywhere to benefit nature. These types of activities are likely to require permission or licensing so seek expert advice.

Potential Measure 2: Create riparian buffer zones

This measure promotes the creation or enhancement of habitat within riparian buffer zones to protect watercourses and improve water quality. PM2 is mapped to all rivers, streams and significant ditches, but would be beneficial anywhere that there is a water flow pathway into a larger watercourse.

Potential Measure 5: Natural flood management

This measure promotes the use of natural habitat-based interventions or ‘nature-based solutions’ such as wetland creation to reduce flood risk or impact downstream. PM5 is a non-mapped measure as it would be beneficial in many locations across Worcestershire, including the headwaters of smaller catchments.

Potential Measure 12: Create new woodlands and plant trees outside woodland

This measure seeks to encourage an increase in tree cover, both as woodland and trees outside woodland. It highlights the opportunity to include areas of nature-rich native broadleaved habitat within or alongside mixed, productive woodland. PM12 is mapped to locations that would best support the buffering and expansion of the existing woodland habitat network, but the principles of the measure could be applied anywhere that woodland would be a suitable addition to the landscape.

Potential Measure 13: Enhance condition of existing woodlands for wildlife

This measure promotes actions to make existing woodlands more valuable for wildlife through good management practices and additional habitat provision. PM13 is mapped to woodlands that could contribute most significantly to providing more, bigger, better areas of habitat at a landscape-scale, due to their proximity to other woodland. However, the suggested actions could be delivered in any woodland to benefit nature.

Potential measure 16: Create new or restore lost hedgerows

This measure encourages the creation of new hedgerows or the reinstatement of hedgerows that have been previously lost from the landscape. PM16 is non-mapped and would be beneficial for nature anywhere within Worcestershire.

Potential measure 18: Increase numbers of hedgerow trees

This measure encourages the planting and management of hedgerow trees. PM18 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature anywhere within Worcestershire.

Potential Measure 28: Plant hedgerow fruit trees

This measure encourages the planting of fruit trees within hedgerows to provide food for wildlife, noting that species such as damson and crab apple are locally distinctive within parts of Worcestershire. PM28 is a non-mapped measure and could be delivered anywhere to benefit nature.

Potential Measure 25: Enhance wildlife value of newly created and younger orchards and Potential Measure 26: Enhance wildlife value of traditional orchards and Potential Measure 27: Create new traditional orchards

These three measures are all focused on ensuring the continuity of traditional orchard habitat, which Worcestershire is nationally important for. All three measures are mapped, either to existing orchards or to locations where the connectivity between existing orchards could be enhanced.

Potential Measure 42: Buffer and enhance habitat connectivity around and between non-statutory nature conservation sites

This measure recognises that the wildlife value of local, non-statutory nature conservation sites can be significantly enhanced by adjacent land management which is supportive of nature’s recovery. PM42 is mapped to a 50m buffer zone around Local Wildlife Sites and Grassland Inventory Sites.

Potential Measure 47: Enhance the biodiversity value of greenspaces within transport corridors

This measure highlights the opportunity that exists within Worcestershire to deliver habitat enhancements within the extensive transport corridor network. The Highways network alone includes 8,000km of road verge: the measure also looks to the rail and canal networks for opportunities. PM47 is a non-mapped measure and could be delivered anywhere across the transport network to benefit nature.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures that you could help to deliver on smaller areas of land, on buildings, or when planning smaller projects within your community. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance.

Potential Measure 6: Create wildlife ponds in low-density pond areas

This measure recognises the importance of ponds to wildlife and promotes their creation and wildlife-friendly management. PM6 is a non-mapped measure as it would be beneficial anywhere. The LNRS also promotes the creation and enhancement of ponds and surrounding habitat in particular locations called ‘pondscapes’, defined within Potential Measure 7.

Potential measure 17: Enhance condition of hedgerows

This measure promotes good practice in the enhancement and management of hedgerows for the benefit of a variety of species. PM17 is a non-mapped measure and would be beneficial for nature when delivered in any location.

Potential Measure 38: Increase the extent, connectedness and quality of wildlife habitats within the built environment

This measure focuses on the opportunities that exist to create or enhance wildlife-rich habitats within the built environment. The measure suggests actions that can be taken within gardens and small areas of greenspace, as well as actions that can be incorporated into the design of new developments and within the public realm. PM38 is mapped to all of Worcestershire’s larger villages, towns and cities.

Potential Measure 39: Enhance community greenspaces for wildlife

This measure encourages the wildlife-friendly management of community greenspaces such as playing fields and allotments. PM39 is mapped to all places identified as greenspace by the Ordnance Survey National Geographic Dataset.

Potential Measure 45: Reduce levels of artificial light at night in the countryside

This measure seeks to reduce the impact of artificial light at night on wildlife within the wider countryside and suggests ways that this could be achieved. PM45 is mapped to buffer zones around existing Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity and movement corridors such as watercourses.

Potential Measure 46: Reduce the impacts of artificial light at night on wildlife within the built environment

This measure seeks to reduce the impact of artificial light at night on wildlife within the built environment and suggests ways that this could be achieved. PM46 is mapped to existing dark corridors within urban areas that should be protected to remain as dark as possible, and also to urban areas with the greatest amount of blue light pollution which are adjacent to wildlife-rich habitats.

Find out more about LNRS Potential Measures to recover species populations. The hyperlink in each title opens an ArcGIS Storymap where you will find details of the measure, further maps, case studies and best practice guidance. LNRS Priority Species are those that need bespoke action to support the recovery of their populations. Many other species are equally important within Worcestershire, but they can be helped by delivering measures to provide more, bigger, better-managed areas of joined-up habitat.

Potential Measure 54: Increase Hedgehog population

This measure seeks to make habitats within urban areas, and on farmland in the wider countryside, more hedgehog-friendly, to enable the species to recover its population numbers and thrive. PM54 is non-mapped and the suggested actions would be beneficial anywhere in Worcestershire.

Potential Measure 58: Increase the numbers and distribution of Toad

This measure highlights the specific threats to our toad populations. This species needs to migrate between breeding ponds and surrounding terrestrial habitat, which can bring them into contact with road traffic. The LNRS also promotes the creation and enhancement of ponds (Potential Measure 6 and Potential Measure 7) and wetland habitats (Potential Measure 8), which will benefit toads.

Potential Measure 59: Increase nesting habitat and food sources for House Martin and Swift

This measure details the actions needed to ensure that House Martins and Swifts can access safe nesting sites and find the insect food that they need to successfully breed. PM59 is mapped to Worcestershire’s bigger villages and towns where larger colonies of these species have been recorded, however the actions could be undertaken anywhere as both species are seen across the county.

Potential Measure 60: Habitat creation and enhancement for woodland bats (Barbastelle and Bechstein’s) and Potential Measure 61: Habitat creation and enhancement for cave and building bats (Greater Horseshoe, Lesser Horseshoe, Brandt’s and Serotine)

These two measures focus on providing habitat for Worcestershire’s rarer species of bats. Delivering these actions will also benefit commoner bat species such as Pipistrelle and Brown Long-eared. Both measures are non-mapped and could be delivered anywhere in Worcestershire to support nature recovery.

Potential Measure 76: Increase the numbers and distribution of Stag Beetle

This measure promotes the creation and retention of deadwood habitats to protect and expand populations of Stag Beetle. PM76 is mapped to Upton-upon-Severn and its surrounds, as this is the core of Worcestershire’s Stag Beetle population. The principles of the measure – the provision of undisturbed deadwood habitat – could be delivered anywhere to benefit nature, as many other species of insect use this habitat niche for parts of their lifecycle.