In this second revision of the plan, changes from the original version include the removal of some completed actions and some new actions added. Some actions have been amended for accuracy or better reading. . Some of the actions have been re-ordered to reflect a rough hierarchy of importance and council statutory roles.
For further detail on these changes and a link to the previous version of the plan, please refer to the Footnote section below.
| Action PA1
|
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|---|---|
| Action: | Develop Borough-wide partnership for nature with key partners and local experts as well as member and officer representation. It will be key in supporting the priorities in the Strategy, wider landscape scale aspirations and delivering green investment in the borough |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Partners |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Short |
| Outputs: | First partnership meeting hosted; draft partnership agreement prepared |
| Strategy objectives: | MD2, LEI1, LEI3, LEI6 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PA2
|
|
| Action: | Continue to be an active participant in key partnerships and associated projects for the delivery of nature's recovery in the borough including North Wessex Downs National Landscape, PfSH (Partnership for South Hampshire) Natural Environment Group, Local Nature Recovery Strategy Working Group, Test & Itchen, Loddon and Kennet River Catchment Partnerships, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre, and Hampshire Local Authority Biodiversity Forum, and engage in new partnerships that support to deliver nature's recovery |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Community Partners |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Join Action for River Kennet partnership; attendance of partnership meetings for each of our key partnerships (catchment partnerships, National Landscape, HBIC); support one project per annum from each partnership with resource or funding |
| Strategy objectives: | MD2, MD5, MD6, DC4, LEI6 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PA3
|
|
| Action: | Continue to work in close partnership with community conservation groups, especially Natural Basingstoke and directly through the delivery of advice for projects and support of their activities on council owned land |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Ranger Services, Community Partners |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Regular meetings between Natural Basingstoke and Ranger Services |
| Strategy objectives: | DC2, LEI1, LEI4 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PA4
|
|
| Action: | Develop a partnership for our northern heathlands with other key landowners and stakeholders across the area and those directly adjoining in West Berkshire and Hart district |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Ranger Services, Community Partners |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Short |
| Outputs: | First partnership meeting hosted; draft partnership agreement prepared |
| Strategy objectives: | MD2, LEI6 |
| Strategy priorities: | Northern heathlands |
| Action PL1
|
|
|---|---|
| Action: | Continue to work closely with the planning policy team to ensure the importance of biodiversity is embedded within local plan and neighbourhood plan policy |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Planning Policy |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Draft Local Plan with embedded environmental policies |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1, MD3, MD7 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PL2 | |
| Action: | Develop proposals for nature networks within and adjacent to strategic allocation sites identified within the draft Local Plan and for Strategic Gaps in alignment with LNRS. Explore the possibility of achieving above 10% BNG in these sites |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Planning Policy |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | Plans prepared; plans included within the draft Local Plan |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1, MD3, MD7 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PL3
|
|
| Action: | Continue to work closely with development management, developers and other key stakeholders to maximise protection and enhancement of biodiversity, including the implementation and monitoring of biodiversity net gain, promoting ecological connectivity and alignment with the Hampshire LNRS, and securing enhancements for species |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Development Management, Legal |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Application responses; BNG secured through planning; species enhancements secured through planning; pre-application engagement |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1, MD3, MD4 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PL4
|
|
| Action: | Develop engagement with local landowners. Host a Rural forum to support landowners in accessing various nature markets, such as biodiversity net gain, district licensing and nutrient mitigation |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Planning Policy, Partners |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Short |
| Outputs: | Landowner guidance developed for BNG habitat banks and promoted; Rural Forum to be hosted |
| Strategy objectives: | MD3, LEI3, LEI6 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PL5
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| Action: | Continue to work with the wider Natural Environment team to prepare and deliver an updated Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy and a new Tree Strategy |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Natural Environment Team, Planning Policy, Climate Change |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Updated GI Strategy; new Tree Strategy |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1, MD7, DC2, DC3 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PL6
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| Action: | Develop Guidance for BNG that clearly states what the council expects from developers with regards BNG. This should be ambitious and also contain aspirations for going above 10% |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Planning Policy, Development Management, Legal |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | Guidance published |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1, MD3 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PL7
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| Action: | Continue to deliver a strategic licensing solution for great crested newts in partnership with NatureSpace |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Planning Policy, Development Control, NatureSpace |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Number of ponds created; hectarage of terrestrial habitats created/enhanced; certificates and reports by NatureSpace |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1, MD3 |
| Strategy priorities: | Herpetofauna |
| Action PL8
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| Action: | Continue to deliver statutory duties under the Hedgerow Regulations |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Number of permissions and notices issued |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1 |
| Strategy priorities: | Hedgerows |
| Action PL9
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| Action: | Continue to improve our ways of working in relation to biodiversity and how they inter-relate with Section 106, open space audits and our fees, play replacement programme, multi-functional greenspace guidance and enforcement approach and identify improvements working with our Enforcement team |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Landscape, Planning Policy, Development Control, Legal, Regeneration, Property and Assets |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | One updated process per annum |
| Strategy objectives: | MD3, LEI1, LEI3, DC1, DC2 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PL10
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| Action: | Develop projects with management companies. Work with Sovereign and Vivid to support nature enhancements of the land they manage in the borough |
| Who is involved: | Sovereign and Vivid, Biodiversity, Regeneration, Landscape |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | One biodiversity related project for each Vivid and Sovereign developed |
| Strategy objectives: | MD5, DC1, DC2 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PL11
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| Action: | Continue to work closely with partners on the Manydown development and explore opportunities to make the countryside park an exemplar site for people and nature |
| Who is involved: | Manydown partnership, Biodiversity, Development Control, Landscape, Trees |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Plans for Manydown countryside park approved, exemplar project delivered |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1, MD3, DC2, DC3 |
| Strategy priorities: | Rare arable flora, Accessible Natural Greenspace |
| Action OG1
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|---|---|
| Action: | Carry out regular officer delivery group meetings to support the delivery of the Strategy and monitor its progress. |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Three meetings annually |
| Strategy objectives: | All |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action OG2
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| Action: | Continue to ensure the Rights of Rivers principles are considered in all areas of work. Encourage the protection and enhancement of watercourses within the borough by implementing processes and action to ensure the council is maximising chances to protect and enhance waterways in the borough at every possible opportunity |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Ranger Services, Development Control, Planning Policy, Landscape, Trees, Community Partners, Grounds Maintenance, Property and Assets, Regeneration |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Number of checklists and council reports considered; projects embarked upon involving watercourse enhancement or restoration; planning policy and applications considered |
| Strategy objectives: | MD1, MD3, MD7, DC1, DC2, LEI1, LEI3, LEI4 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action OG3 | |
| Action: | Continue to support the designation of Sites of Importance for Nature conservation through financially supporting HBIC, identifying candidate sites and supporting decision making |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | New SINCs designated annually; area of land designated annually |
| Strategy objectives: | MD6 |
| Strategy priorities: | Designated sites |
| Action OG4
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| Action: | Continue to deliver the programme of declaration of Local Nature Reserves according to approved priorities list |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Landscape |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Updated priority list in year 1; one newly declared LNR, or other protection, every two years |
| Strategy objectives: | MD8 |
| Strategy priorities: | Designated sites, Accessible Natural Greenspace |
| Action OG5
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| Action: | Continue to ensure the Ecological emergency Checklist is employed wherever a report is presented to Cabinet or Committees |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Number of checklists complete |
| Strategy objectives: | DC1 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action OG6
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| Action: | Ensure actions and delivery of the Strategy align with council principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. Continue to submit EDI related targets to the EDI action plan annually |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, HR |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | EDI actions submitted |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI1 |
| Strategy priorities: | Accessible Natural Greenspace |
| Action PE1
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|---|---|
| Action: | Deliver the council’s nature engagement plan to increase access to nature for local communities, priority people and groups by supporting community leaders and champions, holding and supporting public and educational events, and providing communication material |
| Who is involved: | anger Services, Biodiversity, Community Services, Communications and Marketing, Climate emergency, Community Partners, Sports and Wellbeing |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Short |
| Outputs: | Engagement Plan prepared; engagement and events delivered |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI1, DC6 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE2
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| Action: | Develop and deliver an internal engagement plan. This plan will include approaches to ensure different council departments consider biodiversity and engage for advice with the biodiversity team where appropriate. To also include training for councillors and officers on biodiversity and relevant topic areas, including planning related matters |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Ranger Services, Development control, Planning Policy, Communications and Marketing |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Engagement Plan prepared; planning teams trained on biodiversity net gain; all staff and councillors to have access to biodiversity related training |
| Strategy objectives: | DC1, DC6, LEI1 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE3
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| Action: | Develop school engagement. The Nature Engagement Officer to develop proposals for engaging schools and pre-schools and other young people |
| Who is involved: | Ranger Services, Biodiversity, Community Partners |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | School engagement plan |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI1 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE4
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| Action: | Develop garden assessments for nature. Green team to deliver garden assessments and advice for nature to help residents make enhancements for nature in their gardens |
| Who is involved: | Climate emergency – Green Team |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Number of garden assessments carried out; feedback on assessments |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI1, LEI5 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE5
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| Action: | Continue to support corporate and community payback volunteering groups from the organisation and from other local businesses to deliver habitat management on council sites |
| Who is involved: | Ranger Services, Biodiversity, Communications and Marketing, Sports and Wellbeing, Partners |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Number of groups hosted; volunteer hours |
| Strategy objectives: | DC1, DC2, LEI1 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE6
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| Action: | Develop and deliver a bioblitz plan in partnership with Natural Basingstoke and other partners, community conservation groups and residents on council owned land |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Ranger Services, Natural Basingstoke |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Short |
| Outputs: | Bioblitz plan integrated in monitoring plan; one bioblitz annually |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI1, MD4 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE7 | |
| Action: | Explore options for enhancing accessibility of our sites. Pilot these approaches and aim to roll out the successful ones across our entire portfolio of sites |
| Who is involved: | Ranger Services, Biodiversity, Community Services, Communications and Marketing, Partners, Sports and Wellbeing |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Long |
| Outputs: | Paper outlining feasibility; deliver measures/projects facilitating accessibility |
| Strategy objectives: | DC3 |
| Strategy priorities: | Accessible Natural Greenspace |
| Action PE8
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| Action: | Explore feasibility of providing advice and facilitation with communities to create green plans, nature projects |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Climate emergency, Planning Policy, Community Partners |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | Paper outlining feasibility |
| Strategy objectives: | MD7, LEI4 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE9
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| Action: | Explore and deliver schemes for free/subsidised habitat or species enhancement features (for example: native tree saplings or bat and bird boxes) to residents and communities |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Trees, Climate emergency, Ranger Services, Partners |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | Paper outlining feasibility |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI1, LEI5 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE10
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| Action: | Develop a public portal with Climate emergency team for all appropriate
green space, sustainability related information across the borough, and nature sites data |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Climate Emergency, GIS |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | External portal created |
| Strategy objectives: | DC5 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action PE11
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| Action:
|
Explore how we can support local businesses to understand impacts and
potential actions to promote biodiversity and climate |
| Who is involved: | Climate Emergency, Biodiversity, Economy Culture and Place Marketing |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Long |
| Outputs: | Feasibility paper prepared with climate team with recommendations outlined |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI1, LEI3 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action SP1
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|---|---|
| Action: | Continue to assist in the delivery of the Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy in our role as Supporting Authority. Ensure the council takes account of the LNRS in its decision making and seek to support delivery of the measures and actions through planning, land management, project work and engagement with the community and stakeholders. |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Planning Policy, Development Management, Ranger Services, GIS |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Take account of LNRS in planning decision making and policy development, and project design and implementation; deliver LNRS priorities on council sites managed for nature; facilitate habitat banks within the borough to support BNG and deliver LNRS priorities |
| Strategy objectives: | MD2, MD3, LE12 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action SP2
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| Action: | Develop factsheets for the identified priorities of the Strategy to enable monitoring and awareness building |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, GIS, Partners |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Short |
| Outputs: | Factsheets prepared for all species and features |
| Strategy objectives: | MD2, MD3, LE12 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action SP3
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| Action: | Develop input to Species Conservation and Protected Sites Strategies where they arise |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Planning Policy |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Long |
| Outputs: | Input provided into Species Conservation and Protected Sites Strategies |
| Strategy objectives: | MD2, MD3, LE12 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action MR1
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|
|---|---|
| Action: | Continue to deliver a monitoring plan for our estate, BNG, state of nature within the borough and this strategy outlining our commitments and approaches in regards monitoring and reporting. This will include survey data collected by officers and through the empowerment of volunteers undertaking citizen science as well as utilising data from other sources. To include supporting Natural Basingstoke and other local groups in ad-hoc species recording and data submission. Deliver plan to input into species and habitat data for Biodiversity Strategy annual committee reports and also for 5 yearly Biodiversity Duty reporting requirements |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Ranger Services, Natural Basingstoke, Community experts |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Short |
| Outputs: | Monitoring plan produced and delivered |
| Strategy objectives: | MD4 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action EM1
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|---|---|
| Action: | Continue to manage council-owned land for the benefit of biodiversity. Restore, create and enhance habitats where identified in line with other relevant Estate Management actions and in alignment with LNRS priorities. Continue to support local community groups to deliver effective management in partnership with the Ranger team of our sites for nature. |
| Who is involved: | Ranger Services, Biodiversity, Community Partners |
| Priority: | Red |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Management plans produced annually; extent of priority habitat managed on council-owned land by rangers and volunteers |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI4 |
| trategy priorities: | Accessible Natural Greenspace, Verges and Open Space |
| Action EM2
|
|
| Action: | Develop a grazing implementation plan for our nature sites and potentially part fund using Countryside Stewardship |
| Who is involved: | Ranger Services, Biodiversity |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Long |
| Outputs: | Fencing installed; grazing implemented; CS application completed |
| Strategy objectives: | DC2 |
| Strategy priorities: | Meadows, Heathlands |
| Action EM3
|
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| Action: | Continue to access opportunities for our estate with Property Services. Explore schemes to deliver biodiversity enhancements on council buildings and community centres. |
| Who is involved: | Natural Environment Team, Property and Assets, Major Projects Team, Community Services, Community Partners, Communications and Marketing |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Engagement with council teams to explore and implement opportunities for nature; measures implemented |
| Strategy objectives: | DC1, DC2 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action EM4
|
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| Action: | Continue to develop innovative green space interventions, installations and enhancements for the public realm that promote biodiversity, sequester carbon, increase water holding capacity, increase climate resilience and adaptability. Options will be assessed based on the resource requirement, budget implications, equipment availability and suitability and plans drafted to outline what will be required to adapt to the proposals. Other factors such as open space requirement and safe by design must also be considered. |
| Who is involved: | Biodiversity, Property and Assets, Regeneration, Grounds Maintenance, Climate emergency, Ranger Services, Landscape, Trees |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Ongoing |
| Outputs: | Proposals outlined in paper; projects/measures implemented |
| Strategy objectives: | DC2 |
| Strategy priorities: | Woodland, wood pasture, trees and scrub |
| Action EM5
|
|
| Action: | Explore opportunities for enhancements to council owned woodland for biodiversity, climate and people. Assessing potential for harvesting stock and appropriate replacement planting and other management activities. |
| Who is involved: | Ranger Services, Grounds Maintenance, Trees, Biodiversity |
| Priority: | Amber |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | Paper exploring feasibility |
| Strategy objectives: | DC2, LEI3 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action EM6
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| Action: | Explore feasibility of appropriate uses of arisings from land management activities. An assessment of options will be included and a recommendation on the best options to proceed that maximises the benefits of energy expenditure reduction, reduced fuel consumption, increased soil organic matter, promotion of local food and plant growing and potentially energy production. |
| Who is involved: | Climate Emergency, Biodiversity, Grounds Maintenance, Waste Services |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Long term |
| Outputs: | Plan agreed |
| Strategy objectives: | LEI3 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
| Action EM7
|
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| Action: | Develop Allotment Strategy seeking to increase biodiversity and support local food growing |
| Who is involved: | Grounds Maintenance, Biodiversity, Community Partners, Ranger Services |
| Priority: | Green |
| Timeframe: | Medium |
| Outputs: | Allotment Strategy published |
| Strategy objectives: | DC1, DC2 |
| Strategy priorities: | All |
Completed actions that have been removed include the original PE10 (develop community champions), MR1 (Biodiversity audit) and EM1 (green estate audit). Two other actions have also been completed including the original OG5 (officer delivery group set up) and PE2 (tree giveaway event), but these have been retained in amended form to ensure the continued delivery of officer delivery group meetings to monitor progress of the Strategy, and to allow for exploration and delivery of future schemes for free/subsidised trees or species enhancement features.
The original PL10 (‘explore feasibility of delivery of a borough-led approach to strategic licensing for Great Crested Newts for when the existing partnership with NatureSpace comes to an end’) has been removed – since it began the district licence approach has been shown to have bedded in well and is delivering for development and for newts. It is not clear what a borough-led approach would look like or how it would work under a district licence approach. Once the current licence (lasting 5 years) ends it is anticipated the council will simply renew the licence at this time (notwithstanding changes under local government reorganisation).
Two new actions are included, comprising PL3 (securing biodiversity protection and enhancement through planning) and OG2 (Rights of Rivers).
Previous version of the plan:
Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan - March 2024(PDF) [698 kb]
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