East Ayrshire Nature Network (consultation version)

East Ayrshire Council is preparing its third Local Development Plan, LDP3.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) puts the twin global climate and nature crisis at the heart of its vision. The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (2023) sets targets for halting biodiversity loss by 2030 and restoring and regenerating biodiversity by 2045. The LDP has an important role to play in creating nature positive places that are designed to reduce emissions whilst protecting and restoring the environment.

As part of the consultation process on the Nature and Biodiversity Local Development Plan Topic Paper, East Ayrshire Council sought feedback on the first Draft Nature Network for East Ayrshire from December 2025.

East Ayrshire Council commenced some initial workings to build a picture of its Nature Network. This was completed in-house utilising AECOM’s / CivTech’s Nature Network Tool. This has been conducted to identify opportunity mapping for connections between 30×30 sites spatially in accordance with the requirements of NatureScot’s Practitioner’s Guide to Nature Networks and Nature Network Framework . The full methodology can be viewed in the Topic Paper.

This is a long-term approach which will help to stop biodiversity loss across Scotland, while bringing additional benefits to our local communities, including: health, wellbeing alongside adaptability and resilience to a changing climate. The purpose of opportunity mapping “is not to dictate where the Nature Network will be, but to outline the options available, that can then be used as the basis for discussions with local communities, landowners and managers, and experts to decide where best the Nature Network can and should go, in line with local priorities for both climate and nature.”

The Council is anticipated to play a central role in the development and creation of a ‘Nature Network’ for East Ayrshire, and will play an important supporting role in delivering on the ground projects – both on land owned by the Council and privately owned land. A spatially defined Nature Networks offers scope for communities, landowners/managers, businesses and existing partnerships to identify opportunities to make a positive contribution toward Nature Network delivery. Project delivery will likely be achieved by groups made up of these stakeholders, with local leadership and coordination specific to that area. The Council will be expected to consider how the delivery of nature networks could be achieved on land which is Council owned.