Issue - meetings

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its appendices and make the following resolution as set out below:

That Cabinet approves the new Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) for the period 2020 – 2024, as detailed in Appendix 1.

RESOLVED

That the new Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) for the period 2020 – 2024, as detailed in Appendix 1 be approved.

Mrs Plant introduced the report. She explained that the district supports a wide variety of wildlife including 10 internationally designated sites, 38 sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and 130 wildlife sites. The council has a statutory duty to have regard to conserving its biodiversity. Mrs Plant explained that one of the ways to demonstrate compliance is through the council’s Biodiversity Action Plan.

She outlined the key successes in the previous plan which include:

·         Supporting the Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group including securing over £500,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for delivering the Fixing and Linking Our Wetlands Project (FLOW)

·         Mitigating the increased recreational disturbance at Chichester and Pagham harbours

·         Delivering a £50,000 biodiversity enhancement scheme across a stretch of the River Lavant

The 2020 Action Plan includes:

·         The Strategic Wildlife Corridors project to provide biodiversity enhancements to the proposed wildlife corridors

·         Naturalising Chichester’s green spaces by wilding parks

·         Local Plan review policy support

Mrs Plant asked what would happen if the National Lottery funding application is not successful. Mrs Evans explained that alternative funding would be investigated and if necessary the projects would be taken forward in a more modest way.

Decision

The Cabinet then voted unanimously to make the resolution below.

RESOLVED

That the new Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) for the period 2020 – 2024, as detailed in Appendix 1 be approved.