Issue - meetings
Biodiversity Action Plan
Meeting: 05/03/2026 - Cabinet (Item 212)
212 Biodiversity Action Plan 
PDF 539 KB
Purpose:
To approve the biodiversity duty report for publication. Publication of this report is a legal requirement for all local authorities and must be completed no later than 26 March 2026.
Recommendations:
That Cabinet resolves to:
1. Approve the biodiversity duty report within Annex A for publication.
2. Delegate to the Assistant Director – Planning Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning to make presentational and minor editorial changes for publication.
Additional documents:
Decision:
The purpose of this report was to present the Biodiversity Duty report to Cabinet for approval.
Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, introduced the report, noting that its publication was a legal requirement for all local authorities under the Environment Act 2021 and was to be completed no later than 26 March 2026.
The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Juliet Layton and seconded by Councillor Tristan Wilkinson.
Cabinet RESOLVED to:
1. Approve the Biodiversity Duty Report within Annex A for publication.
2. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director – Planning Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning to make presentational and minor editorial changes for publication.
Voting record:
6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.
Minutes:
The purpose of this report was to approve the biodiversity duty report for publication. It was noted that the publication of this report was a legal requirement for all local authorities and had to be completed no later than 26 March 2026.
Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning introduced the report and explained that the Environment Act 2021 had strengthened the legal duty on public authorities to conserve and enhance biodiversity, and required local planning authorities to publish a report demonstrating how that duty was being met, including performance in delivering Biodiversity Net Gain, which had become mandatory for most developments since February 2024.
The report outlined how biodiversity considerations were being incorporated across a range of Council services, including planning, green space management, climate and sustainability programmes, and partnership working with organisations such as Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and the Local Nature Partnership. The Council’s performance in delivering Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) was also highlighted It was noted that between February 2024 and December 2025 the Council had discharged 24 BNG plans, the highest number among authorities in Gloucestershire.
The report identified opportunities to further strengthen the Council’s approach over the next five years, including the development of a Biodiversity Action Strategy. This strategy would be informed by the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy and the forthcoming review of the Council’s Ecological Emergency Action Plan, and would seek to embed biodiversity considerations more fully within corporate decision-making, monitoring, and reporting.
Cabinet was asked to approve the Biodiversity Duty Report for publication, endorse the development of the Biodiversity Action Strategy, and delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Planning Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member, to make minor editorial and presentation changes prior to publication.
The Leader commented that the report also highlighted two S106 agreements with significant BNG on site and invited any questions or comments.
The Cabinet Member for Finance noted that the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) grant had been incorporated into the Revenue Support Grant as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement for the upcoming financial year. As a result, there would no longer be a separate, ring-fenced allocation for BNG funding from central government, and local authorities would therefore determine their own level of expenditure on BNG from the overall Revenue Support Grant.
The Deputy Chief Executive, David Stanley confirmed that the Council currently held £45,000 of previously unspent BNG funding in reserve, which could be drawn down to support related activity. Should additional funding be required beyond this reserve, officers would need to seek Cabinet approval for further budget allocation.
Councillor Tristan Wilkinson spoke to second the report and thanked Councillor Layton for her summary of the report.
The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Juliet Layton and seconded by Councillor Tristan Wilkinson.
The proposal was put to the vote and agreed by Cabinet.
Voting record:
6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.