Nature improvement areas

Screen

Stages

• Backlog
• Screen
• Research

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These are the questions we answer during the Screen stage.

Answering them wil help us learn more about the Nature improvement areas consideration, determine if a data standard is required and whether we know enough to move on to the next stage.

• What is the 'Nature improvement areas' consideration?

  Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs) are "areas of the country where partnerships have been set up to enhance the natural environment. NIAs embody an integrated, holistic approach that was signalled in the Natural Environment White Paper and England Biodiversity Strategy, joining up objectives for biodiversity, water, soils, farming and the low-carbon economy to improve the functioning of ecosystems and their services."

• Is there legislation that defines 'Nature improvement areas'?

  No

• Who, in law, is responsible for the planning consideration or makes decisions about 'Nature improvement areas'?

  No legislation was found but there are white papers on the subject of nature improvement areas.

  These white papers are published by DEFRA, and a national dataset can be found from Natural England.

• Which organisations do we think should publish the data?

  • Natural England

• Is the Nature improvement areas a trigger?

  No

• Is the Nature improvement areas something to consult during plan making?

  Yes

  • Provide information about when Nature improvement areas is used during plan making

    For relevant local planning authorities, understanding where nature improvements areas are will be important to ensure that growth strategies align with the purpose of this designation. This is similarly the case when making planning decisions through development management, ensuring that any development aligns with the requirements of the designation.

• Is there any Nature improvement areas data already available?

  Yes

  • What Nature improvement areas data is currently available?

    • Item 1

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      • url: https://naturalengland-defra.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/Defra::nature-improvement-areas-england/about
      • name: Nature Improvement Areas (England)
      • fields: OBJECTID;NIA_NAME;HECTARES;GlobalID
      • licence: OGL v3
      • coverage: National
      • publisher: Natural England
      • attribution: "© Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right [year]." - found through data.gov [portal](https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/a19c95e3-9657-457d-825e-3d2f3993b653/nature-improvement-areas) to the same data.
      • metadata_url: https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/a19c95e3-9657-457d-825e-3d2f3993b653/nature-improvement-areas

• Do we think the data should come from a single source?

  Yes - Natural England

• Will a data standard be required?

  No