Agenda item

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/70) on seeking approval of the Devon Local Nature Recovery Strategy, attached.

RESOLVED

(a) that the County Council’s appointment as responsible authority for the preparation of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for the Devon LNRS area, including Plymouth and Torbay, be confirmed.

(b) that officers be mandated to establish appropriate governance and operational arrangements to enable the preparation, publication and future review and republication of the Devon LNRS through engagement with the defined supporting authorities, a wide range of stakeholders and neighbouring authorities; and

(c) that the expenditure of the new burdens funding allocated by central government for this purpose be approved.

(Councillors Biederman, Brazil, Hannaford and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/70) relating to the Devon Local Nature Recovery Strategy, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Environment Act 2021 provided the UK’s new framework of environmental protection which included a requirement for the production of LNRS documents which would cover the whole of England with the purpose of setting out the approach to nature recovery and supporting the delivery of national environmental targets and local environmental priorities.

The Council had been advised by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) of its appointment as the authority responsible for preparing a Devon LNRS under section 105 of the Environment Act, the Secretary of State’s letter being attached as Appendix 1 to the Report.

This Report outlined the expectations of the role, the process to be followed in the production of the Devon LNRS and the resources available by Government to support this.

In line with earlier guidance from Defra, a significant amount of advance work had been undertaken in preparation for the development of a Devon LNRS, including extensive communication with partners. A governance structure involving supporting authorities and the Devon LNP was being established and initial mapping of nature recovery priorities across Devon had been developed.  A brief explanatory video had been produced, which was available via You Tube at: https://youtu.be/Ttfs9B-qoaI?si=yV2p2X62PR17HAVW

There was no mandatory timetable for the preparation of the initial LNRS; however, the Defra expectation was for completion within a 12 to 18 month period.  The Report set out an indicative timetable for this work in Devon, with final publication being June 2024, after engagement of specialists, workshops, agreement of priorities and consultation.

The preparation of the Devon LNRS aligned very closely to the priority set out in the Council’s Strategic Plan 2021-25 to respond to the climate emergency.  The most direct and obvious intent, under the expressed theme of ‘making Devon greener’, was to help wildlife and landscapes recover.  There was also a clear government expectation that the LNRSs should strongly highlight how nature recovery would support wider social and economic priorities.  So, it would be important for the Devon LNRS to set out how it would contribute to the Strategic Plan priorities to support sustainable economic recovery by prompting opportunities for green growth and to improve health and wellbeing by re-connecting people with nature.

Devon had been allocated £388,000 over a two-year period, provided as a Section 31 grant to DCC.  The funding would be used to cover the dedicated staffing and contractor input needed to support the preparation of the Devon LNRS, along with all other costs incurred through stakeholder engagement and through its publication. 

The decision sought from Cabinet at this early stage did not have any specific implications for equality issues.  Consideration would be given to equality issues in developing the detailed content of LNRS, with the required Impact Assessment produced prior to its future intended adoption by DCC.

In summary, the Cabinet noted that approval of the recommendations would facilitate the development of a new approach to nature recovery and associated environmental priorities across Devon.  If approved, the Council would take on the lead role in the preparation of the Devon LNRS in collaboration with supporting authorities and all other relevant stakeholders.  The funding would enable the appointment of dedicated staffing and specialist input required to progress the preparation and publication of the Devon LNRS on behalf of all relevant parties.

The matter having been debated and the options and alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability and carbon impact, risk management, equality and legal considerations and alignment with the Council’s Strategic Plan) set out in the Director’s Report having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Davis, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the County Council’s appointment as responsible authority for the preparation of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for the Devon LNRS area, including Plymouth and Torbay, be confirmed.

(b) that officers be mandated to establish appropriate governance and operational arrangements to enable the preparation, publication and future review and republication of the Devon LNRS through engagement with the defined supporting authorities, a wide range of stakeholders and neighbouring authorities; and

(c) that the expenditure of the new burdens funding allocated by central government for this purpose be approved.