On 20 July, Becky Shaw, Chief Executive of West and East Sussex County Councils, officially launched the ‘Local Authority Network’ on behalf of the Sussex Nature Partnership. This network, supported by the Nature Partnership Secretariat, will formally link all district and borough councils across East and West Sussex with the work of the Nature Partnership. It will provide a mechanism for knowledge sharing and a forum for co-development of solutions to common issues – helping all local authorities to deliver more for nature and people across the wide Sussex geography. At the launch, Ms Shaw emphasised the timely nature of this new network and the important role it will play in helping all local authorities address the climate and biodiversity emergencies within a context of increasing development pressure. Preparing for the new duties the Environment Bill will bring to public bodies will be a key focus for the network and a poll of all attending indicated the strong need for information and discussion of topics such as Biodiversity Net Gain and Local Nature Recovery Strategies which will be introduced by the Environment Bill when it passes into law later this year. A programme of monthly webinars and discussion forums will be developed for the network starting in September and will run for an initial pilot year. For more information on the network and its purpose, see here