Issue - meetings

To inform the Executive committee that following feedback and comment from the Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee the Biodiversity Policy and Action Plan has been further revised.

The Biodiversity Policy and Action Plan is now ready to be adopted by the council.

Recommendation

That the Executive committee adopts the Biodiversity Policy and Action Plan as council policy.     

RESOLVED

That the Biodiversity Policy and Action Plan be adopted as council policy.

Reason

Public, Government and industry awareness of Climate change and the fragile state of our environments, local, national, and international have never been higher or the importance of action so urgent.  As a responsible leading local Authority, it is our duty to lead from the front and demonstrate real commitment to recognising the great important of our natural environment and our extreme reliance we place upon it in terms of financial activity, mental health, and wellbeing.

There is a need for a consistent and a comprehensive approach to the Councils management of habitats and wildlife in order that biodiversity is enhanced and increased wherever possible in the borough.

The Council needs a policy that puts the environment into the heart of everything we do, embeds new Legislation such as the Environment Act 2021, and take steps to protect our environments for our future generations.

This Biodiversity policy (Annexe 1) provides the central structure to support the Councils staff and ensure that biodiversity implications are considered central to decision making.

The new Environment Act introduces the requirement for Biodiversity reports, Local Nature Recovery Strategies and the examination and approval of biodiversity gain plans.

[Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee]

Councillor Liz Townsend, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economic Development presented the report which set out a draft Biodiversity Policy and Action Plan, created following considerable research by officers working with the Surrey Wildlife Trust.  This would ensure that the Council’s open spaces were managed in a way to maximise biodiversity and provide access to diverse open spaces for residents.

Councillor Williams spoke in support of the draft Policy, which was part of a suite of policies, and had been through a lengthy consultation process with input from Overview and Scrutiny.  The Policy was aligned to the corporate commitment to biodiversity and tackling the climate and ecological emergency.

The Leader thanked the Portfolio Holders and hoped that secondary legislation would be forthcoming from the Government to help local authorities implement the provisions of the Environment Act. 

RESOLVED

That the Biodiversity Policy and Action Plan be adopted as council policy.

Reason

Public, Government and industry awareness of Climate change and the fragile state of our environments, local, national, and international have never been higher or the importance of action so urgent.  As a responsible leading local Authority, it is our duty to lead from the front and demonstrate real commitment to recognising the great important of our natural environment and our extreme reliance we place upon it in terms of financial activity, mental health, and wellbeing.

There is a need for a consistent and a comprehensive approach to the Councils management of habitats and wildlife in order that biodiversity is enhanced and increased wherever possible in the borough.

The Council needs a policy that puts the environment into the heart of everything we do, embeds new Legislation such as the Environment Act 2021, and take steps to protect our environments for our future generations.

This Biodiversity policy (Annexe 1) provides the central structure to support the Councils staff and ensure that biodiversity implications are considered central to decision making.

The new Environment Act introduces the requirement for Biodiversity reports, Local Nature Recovery Strategies and the examination and approval of biodiversity gain plans.