Agenda item

To adopt the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Recovery Strategy.

Councillor C Healy, Cabinet Member: Neighbourhoods, Planning & Sustainability presented the Adoption of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) which sought approval for the adoption of Local Nature Reserves and the grant of delegated power to the Director of Prosperity and Investment in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member.  She welcomed the Lead Officer from Shropshire to the meeting and thanked her for the hard work, along with officers at Telford, to ensure that the strategy had been developed in collaboration with landowners, stakeholders and residents.

The main function of the LNRS was to address the decline in biodiversity in the UK as part of the Environment Act 2021.  The council had a moral duty to preserve species and habitats as well as addressing the declining biodiversity which could pose a risk to food, water quality and the wider public health. 

The Strategy identified valuable habitats and those areas that potentially required improvement to help nature recovery and support more wild flora and fauna.  The goal was to create habitats that were larger, more numerous and better connected.  If habitats could be connected via green spaces, then species could expand their populations and move.   A key part of the Strategy highlighted areas that were already protected such as Local Nature Reserves and sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and the buffer zones which added to the protection of the sites.  It was about making sensitive changes to the management of the sites working alongside landowners and land managers.

Engagement events had taken place throughout the course of the development of the Strategy as well as direct engagement with Town and Parish Council and SALK events.  Friends of Parks groups and the Telford Green Space Partnership had also engaged.  

The Strategy would give a strong evidence base for directing agricultural grants and subsidies as well as other funding initiatives and it was felt that  evidence base was key.  In Telford and Wrekin, the LNRS had been developed alongside the Local Plan so the two plans could be aligned in terms of spatial planning and policies that would inform future decision making and the approach to biodiversity net gain of up to 20%.

The Strategy was linked to other strategic policies including the Health and Wellbeing Strategy in that access to nature has a significant positive effect on our physical and mental health.   It was also important to work alongside the Climate Change Action Plan and the Climate Adaption Strategy in relation to carbon reduction and resilience to climate change.

Natural England was the government body who would oversee the process and they considered that the Strategy was sound, comprehensive and well-written.

Cabinet Members supported the adoption of the LNRS which reflected the responsibility to protect the environment and the commitment to the long-term wellbeing of the residents.  It set out practical locally led action which would restore habitats and strengthen biodiversity, as well as improving connectivity across the borough. Working constructively with landowners, communities and partners was key and that could be achieved with the strategic non-regulatory approach supporting nature recovery alongside farming, development and economic growth.  The Strategy also supported climate resilience, flood management, public health and the quality of life.  It was an example of how the council protected, cared and invested in the borough by protecting the natural assets and investing in a healthier more resilient borough.  By recognising that there were limited time and resources it ensured that the efforts were focussed on where they would have the biggest impact whilst promoting, protecting and increasing access to green spaces for local residents.

The Leader of the Conservative Group felt that were was a contradiction within the strategy by creating or returning nature and biodiversity whilst at the same time concreting over green fields.  He raised concerns that there was no dedicated budget which could be used to implement initiatives and schemes.   The report was comprehensive and he was happy to help in any small way and would be delighted to use his ward fund to help out with projects.

RESOLVED – that:

a)    the work of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) Steering Group and stakeholders in supporting co-ordinated biodiversity action in the borough and wider Shropshire area be noted; and

b)   delegated authority be granted to the Director: Prosperity & Investment in consultation with the Cabinet Member: Neighbourhoods, Planning and Sustainability the authority to agree to appropriate amendments as required to meet parallel approvals from other stakeholders and the adoption of the LNRS as set out in Appendix C & D of the repot be approved.