The UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee states that “Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth: genes, species and ecosystems. It includes all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them. Biodiversity matters because it supports the vital benefits humans get from the natural environment. It contributes to the economy, health and well-being, and it enriches our lives.”
Protecting and enhancing biodiversity is a matter of great importance to the parishes and communities of South Cambridgeshire and is a key objective of national and local policy, as recognised in the emerging Greater Cambridge Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document and the new Environment Act 2021.
Parish and Town Councils have an important role to play in protecting and enhancing biodiversity and have a statutory responsibility to have regard to the purpose of conserving biodiversity in the exercise their functions.
To help Parish Councils meet their statutory commitments and to help meet the aspirations of the communities of South Cambridgeshire this Council commits, as some other councils have done, to producing guidance for Parish and Town Councils as how they can most effectively conserve and enhance biodiversity in their areas, including a toolkit for drafting a Parish or Town biodiversity policy and carrying out a biodiversity audit.
Decision:
Council Agreed the following motion:
The UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee states that “Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth: genes, species and ecosystems. It includes all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them. Biodiversity matters because it supports the vital benefits humans get from the natural environment. It contributes to the economy, health and well-being, and it enriches our lives.”
Protecting and enhancing biodiversity is a matter of great importance to the parishes and communities of South Cambridgeshire and is a key objective of national and local policy, as recognised in the emerging Greater Cambridge Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document and the new Environment Act 2021.
Parish and Town Councils have an important role to play in protecting and enhancing biodiversity and have a statutory responsibility to have regard to the purpose of conserving biodiversity in the exercise their functions.
To help Parish Councils meet their statutory commitments and to help meet the aspirations of the communities of South Cambridgeshire this Council commits, as some other councils have done, to providing guidance for Parish and Town Councils as how they can most effectively conserve and enhance biodiversity in their areas, including a toolkit for drafting a Parish or Town biodiversity policy and carrying out a biodiversity audit.
Minutes:
Councillor Dr Richard Williams proposed and Councillor Dr Martin Cahn seconded the following motion:
“The UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee states that “Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth: genes, species and ecosystems. It includes all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them. Biodiversity matters because it supports the vital benefits humans get from the natural environment. It contributes to the economy, health and well-being, and it enriches our lives.
“Protecting and enhancing biodiversity is a matter of great importance to the parishes and communities of South Cambridgeshire and is a key objective of national and local policy, as recognised in the emerging Greater Cambridge Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document and the new Environment Act 2021.
“Parish and Town Councils have an important role to play in protecting and enhancing biodiversity and have a statutory responsibility to have regard to the purpose of conserving biodiversity in the exercise their functions.
“To help Parish Councils meet their statutory commitments and to help meet the aspirations of the communities of South Cambridgeshire this Council commits, as some other councils have done, to producing guidance for Parish and Town Councils as how they can most effectively conserve and enhance biodiversity in their areas, including a toolkit for drafting a Parish or Town biodiversity policy and carrying out a biodiversity audit.”
Councillor Dr Richard Williams explained that parish councils were under a legal obligation to comply with this policy but were receiving no specific guidance from the Council. He suggested that the Council could liaise with Natural Cambridgeshire in providing a toolkit for parish councils, as they had guided other local authorities.
Councillor Bridget Smith stated that the Council was already liaising with parish councils and other community groups and a climate fortnight event had been held the previous evening, which included details of a 16 hour training course that gave details on how to recruit volunteers and keep people motivated. She was happy to support the motion but wanted to ensure that the Council worked with Natural Cambridgeshire without duplicating its work.
Councillor Dr Tumi Hawkins explained that biodiversity was a key part in the emerging Local Plan and the doubling nature strategy included guidance to both parish and town councils. Free trees had been offered to all parishes and parish councils were encouraged to attend area team meetings.
Councillor Heather Williams supported the motion as sensible, pragmatic and identifying a gap in the support provided to parish councils by this authority. She added that some of the smaller parish councils found it harder to attend group meetings, which tended to be dominated by the larger parish councils.
Councillor Dr Martin Cahn explained that he supported bio-diversity and recognised that town and parish councils could help to deliver the Council’s doubling nature target by 2050. The purpose of the motion was to provide information and support for local people who wanted to use their local knowledge to promote bio-diversity in their parish.
Councillor Dr Richard Williams welcomed the responses from Councillor Bridget Smith and Councillor Tumi Hawkins as it demonstrated the need to ensure that knowledge was shared and parish councils were directed to the support required to promote biodiversity.
Councillor Bridget Smith expressed concern that the motion could be committing the Council to further expenditure. On the advice of the Deputy Head of Legal the Chair proposed and Councillor Heather Williams seconded that amendment of the phrase “producing guidance” to “providing guidance”. Councillor Dr Richard Williams and Councillor Dr Martin Cahn both agreed to this amendment, which was accepted without debate.
A vote was taken and by affirmation Council Agreed the following motion:
The UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee states that “Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth: genes, species and ecosystems. It includes all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them. Biodiversity matters because it supports the vital benefits humans get from the natural environment. It contributes to the economy, health and well-being, and it enriches our lives.”
Protecting and enhancing biodiversity is a matter of great importance to the parishes and communities of South Cambridgeshire and is a key objective of national and local policy, as recognised in the emerging Greater Cambridge Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document and the new Environment Act 2021.
Parish and Town Councils have an important role to play in protecting and enhancing biodiversity and have a statutory responsibility to have regard to the purpose of conserving biodiversity in the exercise their functions.
To help Parish Councils meet their statutory commitments and to help meet the aspirations of the communities of South Cambridgeshire this Council commits, as some other councils have done, to providing guidance for Parish and Town Councils as how they can most effectively conserve and enhance biodiversity in their areas, including a toolkit for drafting a Parish or Town biodiversity policy and carrying out a biodiversity audit.