Contact your Parish Council
MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL
RECORD OF DECISION OF THE
Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services
|
Decision Made: |
04 November 2011 |
MAIDSTONE LOCAL BIO DIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Issue for Decision
To consider the adoption of the Maidstone Local Biodiversity Action Plan.
Decision Made
That the Maidstone Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) be adopted and Maidstone’s Biodiversity Projects Plan, as set out below, be instigated.
Reasons for Decision
Biodiversity (Biological Diversity) describes the amazing richness and variety of life around us. Biodiversity refers to diversity between and within ecosystems and habitats, the variety of different species and also to genetic variation within individual species. The intricate network of ecosystems, habitats and species comprising biodiversity provides the support systems that sustain human existence. It is the most important indicator of the state of our environment.
Maidstone borough is rich in biodiversity and contains 10%
of the county broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland representing 12% of the
borough’s land cover. Maidstone’s landscapes have influenced and shaped local
culture. Maidstone borough is made up of characteristic areas defined by
differences in rock type, topography, soils, slope and drainage, which in turn
resulted in a great variety of habitats. Most of Maidstone falls in to the
North Downs, Wealden Greensand and the Low Weald landscape natural areas. In
both rural and urban areas wildlife makes an important contribution to the
quality of life. Biodiversity conservation is central to maintain a healthy
countryside and townscape.
The past ten years have seen significant changes relating to
the environment particularly in terms of planning policy, legislation, and
practical action and the need to balance social, economic and environmental
aspirations. This Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan provides the
opportunity to review current activities and issues, identify aims and set
specific objectives and targets for action by a wide range of internal and
external partners. It provides a much-needed overarching strategy for everyone
involved in safeguarding and enhancing Maidstone’s natural environment.
The Biodiversity Framework
The National Response: In 1992 Biodiversity became a global agenda when 150 governments signed the Convention on Biological Diversity at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It called for national strategies and action plans to be created and enforced which would conserve, protect and enhance biological diversity and was the first time a legal framework was applied to biodiversity.
In 1994 the ‘UK Biodiversity Action Plan’ (UK BAP) was launched, endorsing a multi-organisational approach to biodiversity conservation with an agreed set of targets and objectives. The overall goal of the UK BAP is to conserve and enhance biological diversity within the UK and to contribute to the conservation of global biodiversity through all appropriate mechanisms.
The UK BAP main objectives are:-
1. To conserve and enhance:
· The overall populations and natural ranges of native species and the quality and range of wildlife habitats;
· Internationally important habitats and species;
· Habitats and species (natural and managed) that are characteristic of local areas;
· Natural and semi-natural areas that have declined in recent years.
2. To increase public awareness of, and involvement in, conserving biodiversity.
3. To contribute to the conservation of biodiversity on a European and global scale.
The following principles apply to the national UK action plan and are also applicable at a local level:
· The sustainable use of biological resources;
· The cautious use of non-renewable resources;
· The promotion of a multi-agency approach to biodiversity conservation, including individuals and communities and not just government led. This is being championed through Local Biodiversity Action Plans;
· Biological conservation should be based upon a sound knowledge base;
· The conservation of biodiversity should be integrated within government programmes, policy and action
· Decisions should be guided by the precautionary principle, that is, where decisions are complex or insufficient knowledge or information exists to understand biodiversity impact, then precautionary conservation measures are necessary.
Following the publication of ‘Biodiversity: the UK Action
Plan’, the UK Biodiversity Steering Group was
established to advise the government on how to fulfil its commitment to delivering the Plan.
In 1995 ‘Biodiversity: the UK Steering Group Report –
meeting the Rio challenge’ was produced, which
set out how to achieve this through the Local Biodiversity
Action Plan process. The most recent list of priority species and habitats was
produced in 2007 and contains 1149 species and 65 habitats.
The Steering Group also set up guidelines, with the Local Authority Association and the Local Government
Board that could be used at a local level.
Maidstone Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) is one of 152 Local
Biodiversity Action Plans in England.
The Regional Response:
The Maidstone borough forms part
of the County of Kent in the South-East region. The Kent Biodiversity
Partnership support biodiversity conservation via the Kent Biodiversity Action
Plan (Kent BAP). The Kent Biodiversity Partnership forms part of the larger
South-East England Biodiversity Forum (SEEBF).
The South-East Biodiversity Strategy targets and strategic
biodiversity opportunity map and the Kent BAP targets and actions are currently
under revision, however through consultation the Maidstone LBAP will contribute
towards these in a local context hierarchy linking into county, regional and
national action plans.
In 2003 the Kent Biodiversity Partnership released an audit of the distribution of UK priority habitats in Kent. This audit contributed to the Kent BAP and listed 28 priority habitats of importance to the County, of which 27 were of UK priority importance.
Eight Local performance Indicators have been developed to
examine Biodiversity with respect to Local Authority actions by the National
Audit Office and the Development and Improvement Agency. The Maidstone LBAP
would improve on four of these local performance indicators.
Maidstone LBAP
This strategy and action plan for biodiversity allows the
council to be strategic in determining where to apply its own resources in
delivery. The development of the Maidstone’s Biodiversity Project Plan is a
leading and novel approach at local authority level, in that it clearly defines
a programme of projects that cover a range of work including research,
monitoring, protocol development and capital one-off site projects. These
projects show how the Council will lead and be directly involved in protecting
and enhancing the borough’s biodiversity and raising awareness of the issues.
Maidstone’s Biodiversity Projects Plan clearly describes the localness of our
approach as a governing body in the biodiversity framework highlighting our
innovative approach to delivering better services to local people
The complete LBAP comprises of the following sections:
I. Background and Introduction
II. HAP 2: Lowland and Dry Acid Grassland and Heath
III. HAP 3: Lowland Meadows
IV. HAP 4: Lowland Beach and Yew Woodland
V. HAP 5: Wet Woodlands
VI. HAP 6: Lowland Wood Pasture and Parkland
VII. HAP 7: Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland
VIII. HAP 8: Traditional Orchards
IX. HAP 10: Ponds
X. HAP 11: Rivers
XI. HAP 12: Urban Green Space
XII. Biodiversity Projects
A copy of the complete LBAP document is on the Parks Pages of the MBC website (http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces.aspx )
The Maidstone LBAP has been produced jointly by Maidstone
Borough Council Parks and Leisure Section and Medway Valley Countryside
Partnership (MVCP). MVCP are partly funded by Maidstone Borough Council and
provide expertise and project management in biodiversity and environmental
projects. As MVCP possess the relevant expertise and experience it is proposed
that they continue to manage the LBAP and also implement the Biodiversity
Projects on behalf of the Council. Much of the work carried out will be through
volunteers, currently recruited locally by MVCP. There will be opportunities
for local residents to get involved with the management and maintenance of
their local wildlife sites.
The mapping used in the LBAP showing Local Wildlife Sites
was produced in 2008 and consequently some sites are not shown. Kent Wildlife
Trust are currently updating this series of maps and these will be added to the
LBAP once available.
The production and implementation of a LBAP was an objective
of the Green Spaces Strategy 2005, and as such £15,000 was kept in reserve from
the Capital budget to enable the implementation of the LBAP and Biodiversity
Projects. It is proposed that this money is used by MVCP to not only carry out
the projects but also to attract additional funding. A number of other longer
term projects are identified in the LBAP and if additional funding could be
found in the future these projects would also be initiated.
The table below identifies the projects that the £15,000 MBC
funding will be used to implement. Projects identified in 2010 have already
been completed and funded from existing budgets.
As well as identifying how available funding with
partnership funding will be used to implement projects in the borough, the
table also shows how other projects such as the Mote Park Regeneration Project
are contributing towards reaching Biodiversity targets.
Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee (COSC) along
with the Parks and Leisure Manager Jason Taylor and myself, discussed the Bio
Diversity Action Plan following its inclusion in the Forward Plan (May to
August 2011) on 12th July 2011. To enable any feedback received
from COSC to be included in the LBAP the decision to adopt the Action Plan was
delayed until now. The following recommendations came from COSC:
· The Maidstone Local Biodiversity Action Plan should be adopted; and
· The work and achievements of the Medway Valley Countryside Partnership should be promoted in the Borough Update.
Project |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
Total |
MBC Funding |
|
|
|
|
|
Weavering Heath |
|
|
|
|
|
TAVR Nature Area |
£500 |
|
|
|
£500 |
Dove Hill Woods |
|
|
|
|
|
Ponds Project |
£3,000 |
|
|
|
£3,000 |
Biodiversity Monitoring |
£500 |
£500 |
£500 |
£500 |
£2,000 |
Communication Plan |
|
|
|
|
|
Bird Feeder scheme |
|
|
|
|
|
Insect Box scheme |
|
|
|
|
|
Events and MBC staff volunteer days |
|
£750 |
£750 |
£750 |
£2,250 |
Whatman Park Lowland Meadow Area |
£500 |
£1,600 |
£400 |
|
£2,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Part Funded by MBC - Look for external funding sources |
|
|
|
|
|
Senacre Wood |
|
£140 |
|
|
£140 |
River Len Nature Reserve |
|
£140 |
|
|
£140 |
Five Acres and Wents Wood |
|
£137 |
|
|
£137 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Already Funded by MBC |
|
|
|
|
|
Free Tree Scheme |
|
|
|
|
£0 |
Pond and Tree Warden Scheme |
|
|
|
|
£0 |
Bird Nesting Box Scheme |
|
|
|
|
£0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Partner led projects to be supported financially |
|
|
|
|
|
Orchards for Everyone |
£2,000 |
£2,000 |
£2,000 |
£2,000 |
£8,000 |
Ponds on the Downs |
£1,000 |
£1,000 |
|
|
£2,000 |
Wildlife on the Downs |
£500 |
£500 |
|
|
£1,000 |
Kent Habitat Survey |
£1,333 |
£1,333 |
|
|
£2,666 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funding required to implement LBAP |
2010 |
Minimum 2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
MBC Total 2011-13 |
|
£9,333 Already committed from existing budgets |
£8,100 |
£3,650 |
£3,250 |
£15,000 |
Funded by another project stream within MBC |
|
|
|
|
|
Mote Park Restoration project |
|
|
|
|
£15,000 |
Developer Contributions |
|
|
|
|
|
Palace Wood |
|
|
|
|
£16,000 |
Working towards good biodiversity management |
|
|
|
|
|
Alternatives considered and why rejected
Alternative action could be to not adopt the LBAP or instigate the Biodiversity Projects, this is not recommended because the opportunity to lead and be directly involved in protecting and enhancing the borough’s biodiversity and raising awareness of biodiversity issues would be lost.
Background Papers
UK Biodiversity Action Plan
Kent Biodiversity Action Plan
Maidstone LBAP
Should you be concerned about this decision and wish to call it in, please submit a call in form signed by any two Non-Executive Members to the Head of Change and Scrutiny by: 11 November 2011 |