Draft Hounslow Biodiversity Action Plan 2010 – 2015

Chiswick Area Committee - Monitoring

Friday, 05 November 2010

WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?

“The total variety of living things together with

their surroundings (or habitats). This their surroundings (or habitats). This

includes our surrounding, our communities

and ourselves”

WHY CONSIDER BIODIVERSITY?

• Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006 requires :

‘Every public authority must, in exercising its functions, have regards, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions to the

purpose of conserving biodiversity’.

• Hounslow Community Plan – Cleaner and Greener Community theme

• LSP Local Area Agreement: NI197 – Improving local biodiversity through positive conservation management

BIODIVERSITY IN HOUNSLOW

BIODIVERSITY IN CHISWICK

Gunnersbury Triangle

Gunnersbury Park

Chiswick House Grounds Turnham Green Park

PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY IN HOUNSLOW

Hounslow Biodiversity

Action Plan 2003 – 2008

Delivered by the Hounslow

Biodiversity Action Plan

Partnership

DRAFT HOUNSLOW BIODIVERSITY

ACTION PLAN 2010 - 2015

• Draft plan will aim to:

– Prioritise actions for protecting,

conserving and enhancing wildlife and

habitats

– Enable monitoring of biodiversity, and

– Help gauge the quality of our

surroundings through the indicators surroundings through the indicators

provided by the health of habitats and

species supported.

• HBAP is incorporated into

Council plans and policies

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN DELIVERING THE BAP

• Councils role is to:

– Coordinate the partnership

– Carry out habitats and species

surveys

– Monitor the development of

the BAP and

– Implement the actions outlined

within it

– Work with community groups

to protect and enhance

biodiversity in their local area

• Partnership meets quarterly

to discuss progress which is

reported back to DEFRA

HOUNSLOW WILDLIFE SITES AND THE

PLANNING FRAMEWORK

• Nature Environment Chapter: Objective ENV – N.2: To protect, provide, enhance and promote areas of high amenity value, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Local Nature Reserves and other areas of nature conservation interest.

• Policy ENV-N.2.0 – To protect International Nature Conservation Sites.

• Policy ENV-N.2.1 - Strategic Nature Conservation Sites – encompasses national, regional and metropolitan nature conservation sites.

• Policy ENV-N.2.2 – Sites for Local Nature Conservation – Sites of Borough and Local Importance.

The UDP also contains other relevant policies including:

• ENV- N.2.3: Promotion of Nature Conservation Management

• ENV- N.2.4: Habitat Protection

• ENV- N.2.5: Habitat Reconstruction

• As well as various policies in the chapter on Waterways

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF IMPLEMENTING

THE BAP

• Currently using existing budgets, grants, environmental stewardship agreements, S106 etc.

• Develop a funding strategy to cost actions for which funding is not available and to identify funds.

CONSULTATION PROCEDURE

• 12 weeks from 1st November 2010 to 23rd January 2011

• Consulting with a range of local, regional and national bodies

• Response sheet has been produced for feedback

• Post consultation, the plan will be finalised and published online as well as implemented

RECOMMENDATIONS

That Members:

• Note the contents of the Draft Hounslow Biodiversity Action Plan 2010 – 2015 and the work undertaken by Members of the Hounslow Biodiversity Action Plan Partnership to develop the plan

• Approve and endorse the draft Hounslow Biodiversity Action Plan • Approve and endorse the draft Hounslow Biodiversity Action Plan and the implementation of the actions outlined within the document, as a basis for consultation

• Note the role of the plan in the planning process

• Note the consultation dates and timeline for adoption of the final plan.

T0 SUMMARISE

• The HBAP will aim to act as a focus for nature conservation action in the borough.

• The core partnership will continue to oversee the development and implementation of the plan but other members of the community will be encouraged to join the partnership

• A communications strategy and funding strategy will also be developed to promote the work of the partnership and the biodiversity value and resource that exists in the borough and to identify funding streams that will assist with the implementation of the actions outlined in the plan.

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

For further information, please contact:

Ajit Bansal (Environmental Strategy Officer),

Environmental Strategy Unit,

London Borough of Hounslow,

Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Civic Centre, Lampton Road,

Hounslow, TW3 4DN.

Tel: 020 8583 3275

Email: ajit.bansal@hounslow.gov.uk

Environmental.strategy@hounslow.gov.uk