Mrs
Jennifer Shepherd, the Head of Environment and Public Realm,
presented the Biodiversity Action Plan Update to the
Committee.
Mrs
Shepherd highlighted to the Committee that:
·
Maidstone’s Local Biodiversity Action Plan
(LBAP) was adopted in 2011 to collate knowledge on priority species
and habitats and to provide an action plan to conserve and protect
them for the future.
·
The LBAP had not been updated since 2014 and as the
Maidstone Borough Local Plan and the Parks and Open Spaces 10 Year
Plan were adopted in 2017, it was appropriate to complete a refresh
of the LBAP.
·
Refreshing the LBAP would show the Council’s
future intentions and the importance it placed on biodiversity in
the Borough.
·
The cost implication of approximately £25,000
would be funded from the underspend from
the Parks and Open Spaces 2017/18 budget.
Councillor Newton addressed the Committee on this
item.
The Committee raised concerns about the cost of the
LBAP refresh, in a time when budgets on frontline services were
being cut.
The Committee noted that in order to impose
stringent conditions on planning applications, to prevent the loss
of ancient woodland for example, there needed to be robust policies
in place and the LBAP would provide this.
In
response to a question from the Committee, Mrs Shepherd confirmed
that by refreshing the LBAP and finding out ways to encourage
biodiversity, the cost to the Council of maintaining areas of land
could decrease.
RESOLVED:
That a
refresh of Maidstone’s Biodiversity Action plan funded from
the underspend from the Parks and Opens
Spaces 2017/18 budget be agreed.
Voting: For – 8
Against – 1 Abstentions -
0