A council has become the first in Kent to formally make a Nature Recovery Declaration.

In it, Maidstone council recognises “the catastrophic and ongoing declines impacting the natural world” and made a “solemn commitment to embed positive change across all our interactions with the natural world”.

It comes as butterfly numbers are the lowest on record in the UK.

The Butterfly Conservation said this year’s Big Butterfly Count, which revealed the worst numbers since it began 14 years ago, is “a warning sign to us all”.

The Maidstone proposal was the suggestion of Lib Dem Cllr Tony Harwood who first gave his colleagues some distressing figures on nature loss from the 2023 State of Nature Report.

He said 41% of wild species are in decline nationally and most of the important habitats for the UK’s wildlife were in poor condition.

Due to human activity, he added, the UK now had less than 50% of its historic biodiversity remaining.

Cllr Harwood said: “Maidstone cannot save the world but we can become a powerful local champion for nature recovery.”

Acknowledging that the council already had a biodiversity plan and other green measures, he said it was not enough, as nature was still in decline.

He warned that the issue was fundamental “to our economy, to the water that we drink and to the air that we breathe”.

His motion was seconded by Cllr Rachel Rodwell (Green) who described the statistics as “depressing reading”.

Cllr Paul Harper (Fant and Oakwood) said he doubted there would be anyone in the council chamber who disagreed with the objectives, while Cllr Malcolm Mackay likened it to voting for “motherhood and apple pie”.

However, there was some dissent from Tory group leader Cllr Claudine Russell, who reminded Cllr Harwood that he was now a cabinet member and that the Lib Dems and Greens now formed the administration.

She said there was no need for him to introduce the idea as a councillor’s motion to full council and said the proper thing would have been for the administration to have brought forward the idea, so it would have been supported with background papers from officers and estimates of costs.

Cllr Harwood insisted the declaration would get to cabinet in due course.

He added that he was “not a great fan of tokenism”.

His adopted declaration contained a number of points that could be worked up into specific policies.

They included providing more space for nature, improving the existing nature spaces, reconnecting fractured woodland and hedgerows, rewilding and river restoration initiatives, and embedding Local Nature Recovery into all strategic plans and policy areas, not just those directly related to the natural environment.

Cllr Harwood said: “Time is running out if we are to stop this nature decline and ultimately reverse it.”

The motion was approved by general affirmation without a vote being taken.