Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
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Agenda item

To consider the Motion on Notice received from Councillor Malvisi:

 

This Council recognises the increasing pace with which our natural habitat is being decimated that it too has now become a biodiversity emergency. Over the past 100 plus years there has been a significant reduction in biodiversity and loss of natural habitats.

 

The biodiversity of our District does not sit in isolation but is intrinsically intertwined into our lives and thus Climate Change which currently is seriously impacted.

 

It is therefore imperative that we work towards a system where we enable ‘net biodiversity gain’.

 

The Environment & Climate Change Task Force will work with partners, such as Suffolk Biodiversity Information Services, to understand the range of and the risk to our District’s biodiversity. We will understand sites of value in terms of biodiversity to enable us to understand which areas on which to focus. 

 

We will help to develop incentive schemes with sponsors and other interested parties to turn appropriate grass verges into ‘Wild Flower’ verges using low growing flowers that stifle the growth of grasses but are very attractive to bees, butterflies and other insects necessary to maintain a balanced eco system.

 

We will work with partners and communities to help enhance and protect the biodiversity of Babergh District.

 

Therefore, this Council pledges that:

 

1.          Creation and development of a Wildlife Network Map from which Wildlife Corridors will be identified and created. The map, available to the public, will assist the District to develop Eco Tourism, thereby attracting much needed tourist revenue to the region.

2.          As part of our commitment to Biodiversity the Council will work closely with our existing Partners, the County Council and other NGO’s involved in protecting our natural habitats.

3.          Introduction of the ‘Trees for Life’ scheme in Babergh District. This offers every family with a new-born baby a tree to plant. The trees to be planted will be native trees and will be locally grown and sourced.

4.          The cost of maintaining and improving the Biodiversity of our Area will form part of the work of the Task Force that will report back to Cabinet in Spring 2020.

 

Proposer – Councillor Malvisi

Seconder – Councillor Norman

 

 

Minutes:

14.1           The Monitoring Officer explained to Members that the Motion related to a Cabinet function, therefore whilst Council could debate the Motion and pledge to carry this out, it would be for Cabinet to decide how they wished to undertake this, based on the pledges made.

 

14.2            The Chair of the Council then invited Councillor Malvisi to move the Motion on Notice.

 

14.3            Councillor Malvisi, Cabinet Member for Environment, introduced the Motion, which supported the previous Motion for Climate Emergency resolved by Council on the 23 July 2019. She then read the Motion on Notice:

 

This Council recognises the increasing pace with which our natural habitat is being decimated that it too has now become a biodiversity emergency. Over the past 100 plus years there has been a significant reduction in biodiversity and loss of natural habitats.

 

The biodiversity of our District does not sit in isolation but is intrinsically intertwined into our lives and thus Climate Change which currently is seriously impacted.

 

It is therefore imperative that we work towards a system where we enable ‘net biodiversity gain’.

 

The Environment & Climate Change Task Force will work with partners, such as Suffolk Biodiversity Information Services, to understand the range of and the risk to our District’s biodiversity. We will understand sites of value in terms of biodiversity to enable us to understand which areas on which to focus. 

 

We will help to develop incentive schemes with sponsors and other interested parties to turn appropriate grass verges into ‘Wild Flower’ verges using low growing flowers that stifle the growth of grasses but are very attractive to bees, butterflies and other insects necessary to maintain a balanced eco system.

 

We will work with partners and communities to help enhance and protect the biodiversity of Babergh District.

 

Therefore, this Council pledges that:

1.           Creation and development of a Wildlife Network Map from which Wildlife Corridors will be identified and created. The map, available to the public, will assist the District to develop Eco Tourism, thereby attracting much needed tourist revenue to the region.

2.           As part of our commitment to Biodiversity the Council will work closely with our existing Partners, the County Council and other NGO’s involved in protecting our natural habitats.

3.           Introduction of the ‘Trees for Life’ scheme in Babergh District. This offers every family with a new-born baby a tree to plant. The trees to be planted will be native trees and will be locally grown and sourced.

4.           The cost of maintaining and improving the Biodiversity of our Area will form part of the work of the Task Force that will report back to Cabinet in Spring 2020.

14.4            Councillor Malvisi MOVED the motion, which was SECONDED by Councillor Norman.

 

14.5            Councillor Norman said he supported the Motion, including the wildlife network map and thought it would be useful for both the Council and the public, to be able to identify where the wildlife corridors were.  He also thought that the Tree for Life scheme would be a way to maintain an everchanging environment and encourage biodiversity.   

 

14.6            Councillor Jamieson thanked Councillor Malvisi for proposing a Motion for biodiversity, an area he felt was often overlooked.  He fully supported the Motion.  However, he had tabled an amendment, which specified in more detail, what the funding should be spent on and which was to replace paragraph four of the proposed Motion. An additional paragraph five had been added, which provided the Task Force an opportunity to recommend areas for spending the allocated funding. 

 

14.7            Councillor Jamieson referred to the Tabled Papers for the proposed Amendment:

4.That additional biodiversity resources be provided as necessary, to:

·                 Support the Task Force

·                 Provide more input to support planning officers

·                 Strengthen the role of public realm team

·                 Provide advice to parishes and other community landowners.

5. Any funding to maintain and improve the biodiversity of our area for 2019/20 will be recommended to Cabinet for approval. The task force would recommend the amount to be spent in future years in a report back to Cabinet by March 2020.

14.8        Councillor Jamieson MOVED the amendment, which was SECONDED by Councillor Hurren.

 

14.9         The Chair of the Council asked if Councillor Malvisi, the Proposer, accepted the amendment, and Councillor Malvisi responded that she ACCEPTED both the amended paragraph four and the additional paragraph five.

 

14.10     Members then debated the substantiated Motion.

 

14.11     Councillor Arthey congratulated the Green Party and Councillor Malvisi for working together to achieve a Motion and an amendment, which Members were likely to accept across the Council.

 

14.12         Councillor McCraw added that the Tree for Life Scheme had been adopted by Mid Suffolk District Council in the previous year and had been successful.

 

14.13         Councillor Hurren thought that the Wildlife Corridors should be included in the Joint Local Plan.

 

14.14         The Chief Executive advised that the Wildlife Corridor could be appended in the Joint Local Plan. However, such an addition had to be made at the next stage of the consultation of the Joint Local Plan.  The Council had to ensure it was not contrary to the provision of LP17 Policy for the Joint Local Plan.

 

14.15         Councillor Hinton commented that he agreed with the comments and that the current Joint Local Plan had no provision for such amendments.

 

14.16         The substantive Motion was put to Members for voting and the vote was UNANIMOUS.

 

It was RESOLVED: -

 

This Council pledges that:

 

1                 Creation and development of a Wildlife Network Map from which Wildlife Corridors will be identified and created. The map, available to the public, will assist the District to develop Eco Tourism, thereby attracting much needed tourist revenue to the region.

 

2                 As part of our commitment to Biodiversity the Council will work closely with our existing Partners, the County Council and other NGO’s involved in protecting our natural habitats.

 

3                 Introduction of the ‘Trees for Life’ scheme in Babergh District. This offers every family with a new-born baby a tree to plant. The trees to be planted will be native trees and will be locally grown and sourced.

 

4                 That additional biodiversity resources be provided as necessary, to:

·              Support the Task Force

·              Provide more input to support planning officers

·              Strengthen the role of public realm team

·              Provide advice to parishes and other community landowners.

5.       Any funding to maintain and improve the biodiversity of our area for 2019/20 will be recommended to Cabinet for approval. The taskforce would recommend the amount to be spent in future years in a report back to Cabinet by March 2020.

 

 

Supporting documents: