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No. | Item |
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Disclosures of Personal & Prejudicial Interests. Decision: None. Minutes: In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea, no interests were declared. |
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To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record. Decision: Approved. Minutes: Resolved that the Minutes of the Climate Change and Nature Recovery Service Transformation Committee held on 11 December 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record. |
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Section 6 Biodiversity Duty Action Plan for Swansea. PDF 261 KB Additional documents:
Decision: Approved. Minutes: Councillor D H Hopkins, Deputy Leader / Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Performance introduced the report, which was scheduled to be reported to Council on 21 March 2024 and was a Corporate Priority for the Authority. Paul Meller,
Natural Environment Section Manager presented a report which sought approval of
the draft Section 6 Biodiversity Duty Action Plan for Swansea. (2023-2025). It was explained
that the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (Part 1) Section 6 Biodiversity and
Resilience of Ecosystems Duty which required that: ‘A public authority must
seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity in the exercise of functions in
relation to Wales, and in so doing promote the resilience of ecosystems, so far
as consistent with the proper exercise of those functions’. Swansea Council
had a legal duty to report to the Welsh Government every 3 years outlining
actions undertaken to comply with the Statutory Biodiversity Duty. The draft
Section 6 action plan at Appendix A provided the actions the Council proposed
to take between now and December 2025 to meet its obligations under its
Biodiversity Duty to maintain and enhance biodiversity and contribute to the
Welsh Governments 30x 30 targets for nature recovery. The actions set
out under the six key objectives of the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales
Nature Recovery Action Plan (NRAP) for Wales and the Swansea Local Nature
Recovery Action Plan were provided. Mark Barber, Biodiversity
Officer noted that the ongoing actions were dependent upon staff resources and
Welsh Government funding, which would currently be provided up to 2025. The Committee
discussed the following: - ·
The
need to include working with schools to support the delivery of biodiversity
and green infrastructure enhancements within school grounds. ·
Making
Community and Town Councils aware of the report. It was noted that a
presentation was being made to the Community and Town Councils Forum on 4 March
2024 and that it was the responsibility of each council to formulate its own
plan. ·
The
Council’s legal responsibilities in respect of water, soil and air pollution,
how it collaborates with other organisations, e.g. Natural Resources Wales
(NRW) and how including issues within the plan would hopefully provide more
funding towards tackling pollution. ·
The
positive inclusion of active travel within the plan. · Providing
a more detailed plan linking all the broad actions together which will include
contributing to Welsh Government’s 30x
30 biodiversity targets. ·
The
key importance of nature recovery. ·
The
importance of its inclusion within the Corporate Plan and collaboration going
forward. ·
Changing
legislation being introduced to strengthen biodiversity regarding the planning
process. ·
The
importance of sustainable drainage. ·
The
changes being introduced within the replacement Local Development Plan. Resolved that: - 1)
The Draft
Section 6 Biodiversity Duty Action Plan for Swansea Council be approved and
forwarded to Council for adoption. 2)
Adding
working with schools to support the delivery of biodiversity and green
infrastructure enhancements within school grounds be added to the Plan being
reported to Council. |
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Decision: Noted. Minutes: The Chair presented an updated Work Plan report. She noted that the Public EV Charging Strategy remained as an outstanding item and would confirm if Scrutiny were looking at the topic. Resolved that the contents of the report be noted. |