Issue - meetings

RESOLVED

KEY DECISION

That the Executive approved the Pollinator Strategy at Appendix A to the report.

Reasons for Recommendation:

·      The Strategy establishes guiding principles relevant to the operational management of the council’s parks and open spaces services and helps meet the council’s obligations under the Environment Act 2021, which includes provisions to strengthen and improve the duty on public bodies to conserve and enhance biodiversity and to produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy by the end of 2023.

·      The Strategy provides the basis for unifying and building on the varying practices adopted by the legacy councils.

·      The Strategy supports the council’s key commitments to a greener, sustainable environment.

·      The Strategy provides a clear statement to residents of how the council is seeking to improve habitats for pollinator species (and other wildlife) in its parks and open spaces.

Alternative Options Considered:

·      The option of continuing historic land management approaches such as ‘short mowing’ large areas of green spaces was not considered to be in keeping with the council’s duties towards nature recovery.

·      The option to not have a Pollinator Strategy and to continue with management of parks and open spaces under the principles devised by the individual officers in the parks and green spaces was rejected in favour of establishing guiding principles for the council’s land managers.

The Chair, Cllr Harriet Pentland invited Lee Forster to address the Executive. Mr Forster welcomed the news that the Council was planning to stop spraying glyphosate products as part of its grounds maintenance work but queried the placement of verges left to grow for pollinators to ensure road safety. Mr Forster also queried whether the Council was creating habitats to improve biodiversity or for aesthetic purposes. 

The Chair thanked Mr Forster for his contribution before introducing a report that sought approval for a new Pollinator Strategy for North Northamptonshire. Cllr Pentland noted that the strategy had been informed by the best practices taken from policies of the legacy councils.

The Chair noted the comments from Mr Forster regarding safety concerns over untended verges and that this aspect would be reviewed where necessary, but also stated that the “Pardon the Weeds” concept served a purpose, helping the public to understand why specific areas were left to grow.

The Chair stated that following the declaration of a climate and environment emergency by the Council in 2021, a climate change route map had been developed, part of which was the creation of a pollinator strategy to improve habitats on Council-owned land by increasing forage resources for pollinators, improving habitats, reducing the use of pesticides and by participating in pollinator projection.

The next step was to publish the strategy and embark upon a campaign to raise awareness and engage with the public. Further to this would be identification of

areas of land for natural regeneration, a review of the use of pesticides and grounds maintenance equipment used, alongside community engagement and performance monitoring.

Cllr Helen Harrison spoke to note the importance of the document, welcoming a building block in achieving the Council’s environmental aims as well as helping to improve the health and wellbeing of its residents.

RESOLVED

KEY DECISION

That the Executive approved the Pollinator Strategy at Appendix A to the report.

Reasons for Recommendation:

·      The Strategy establishes guiding principles relevant to the operational management of the council’s parks and open spaces services and helps meet the council’s obligations under the Environment Act 2021, which includes provisions to strengthen and improve the duty on public bodies to conserve and enhance biodiversity and to produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy by the end of 2023.

·      The Strategy provides the basis for unifying and building on the varying practices adopted by the legacy councils.

·      The Strategy supports the council’s key commitments to a greener, sustainable environment.

·      The Strategy provides a clear statement to residents of how the council is seeking to improve habitats for pollinator species (and other wildlife) in its parks and open spaces.

Alternative Options Considered:

·      The option of continuing historic land management approaches such as ‘short mowing’ large areas of green spaces was not considered to be in keeping with the council’s duties towards nature recovery.

·      The option to not have a Pollinator Strategy and to continue with management of parks and open spaces under the principles devised by the individual officers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 270