Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience Duty 2022

Action Plan

1. NRAP[1] Objective 1: Engage and support participation and understanding to embed biodiversity throughout decision making at all levels.

 

Actions have been taken to:

• Embed biodiversity action across the organisation’s functions:
• Publication of the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Pembrokeshire in June 2018;
• State of Wildlife report published 2016; 
• PCC Corporate Plan;
• Making commitments in LDP & LDP2 policies and; 
• Relevant Supplementary Planning Guidance;
• Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) reviewed to include Lighting;
• Incorporating biodiversity and the s6 duty into performance management, through Local Well-being Plans; 
• Green Infrastructure Assessments; 
• the Council signed the Edinburgh Declaration on Biodiversity in October 2021.
• Raise awareness across the organisation:
• Conservation Team provided Environment (Wales) Act 2016 Seminar for Officers and Members in 2017 & 2022.
• Ongoing early consultation and engagement with relevant officers in relation to plans/projects/strategies.
• Running seminars or providing information to highlight the importance and value of biodiversity and how we are contributing to action as an organisation.
• Contribute to annual Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership (PNP) Gathering and including invitations to Cabinet Member and Councillors.
• Face to face engagement with officers.
• Iterative process with incremental changes make it difficult often to quantify.
• Rise in consultations and requests for Preliminary Ecological Assessment from Departments has had resource implications for Ecology Officers.

 

2. NRAP Objective 2: Safeguard species and habitats of principal importance and improve their management

Actions taken to:

• Safeguard special species and habitats listed on the section 7 biodiversity lists, for example by:
• Providing suitable and appropriately managed habitats for protected species where appropriate – management for Willow Blister, Hazel Gloves, Grassland Fungi Assemblage through liaison with Pembrokeshire Fungus Recording Network (2022) reprinted updated “A Guide to Waxcaps in West Wales Booklet” 57 species including S7 fungi.
• Cleddau Reaches Project has included installation of 4 artificial otter holts around Haverfordwest - liaison/advice from The Otter Consultancy.
•  Improving habitat management, for example, for pollinators through Area Maintenance changes to cutting regimes and planting schemes;
• Using the planning system to “maintain and enhance” species and habitats for all planning applications – e.g. Bat Mitigation in situ enhancement and stand-alone bat houses provided.
• Maps developed for Ash Die Back management where high risk for Horseshoe bat road crossing and also Lobarion (lichens) Communities (annex 1 S7).
• Scolton Manor Project to provide invertebrate and bat roost opportunities through Arborist working on trees affected by Ash Die Back whilst retaining main trunk of tree in a safe condition.
• Involvement with PNP Project to erect Swift boxes & MP3 players on National Health Service (NHS) Hospitals, S & West Wales Fire Service stations.
• Discussing potential for further “waxcap grassland” knowledge with concerns over potential loss of important fungal sites to “Carbon Offset Tree Planting” projects.
• Land Use Planning Tool web-tool derived from West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre (WWBIC) Data.
• Contribute to the management of protected sites and species:
• Member of 3 Marine Special Area of Conservation Relevant Authority Groups (SACRAG, chair of two groups); fully engaged in this process, ensuring these sites are valued in decision making and contributing to their management where possible.
• The Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) Rivers Cleddau and Teifi are both currently failing 2021 updated targets on phosphates established by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).  PCC is committed to tackling this issue alongside other strategic partners.  It has set up the Cleddau Nutrient Management Board (Chaired by the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery) and is also a member of the Teifi Nutrient Management Board.  These new boards represent a strategic partnership which will develop a specific Plan to tackle failing catchments.
• Team building SAC site visits with Planning and Conservation Team;
• Support for “Self Cleaning Slipway” Project 3 year PhD Swansea University Student on PCC slipways within Milford Haven.
• Managing land around protected sites to buffer and join them up as part of resilient ecological networks e.g. Somerton Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Old Mill Grounds & Cleddau Reaches Project Haverfordwest.

Measures and/or indicators monitored or collected:

• Numbers of site, species and/or habitat action plans -  see PNP website
• Site, species and habitats status and trends, State of Wildlife report  published 2016
• Data from Planning from Annual Monitoring Reports^[2] for the local development plan
• Challenges - Significant changes to local NRW Teams/Personnel have impacted local biodiversity knowledge and expertise

 

3. NRAP Objective 3: Increase the resilience of our natural environment by restoring degraded habitats and habitat creation

Actions taken to:

• Create or contribute to Resilient Ecological Networks[3] for example by:
• Restoring and/or creating habitats through revised County Farm policy to consider S6 Duty.
• Connecting or enlarging areas of habitat through PLANT Project with NHS/Tir Coed providing County Farm land for tree planting.
• Improving the management and/or diversity of areas of habitat managed by PCC.
• Contributing evidence to the Area Statement process - Conservation Team Staff attended several local seminars.

Measures and/or indicators monitored or collected:

• Green Infrastructure Assessments[4]
• Revised GI Project undertaken in 2022 – Conservation Staff accompanied Land Use Consultants LUC for town assessments
• Additional information: Collaboration with PCNPA “Stitch in Time” Invasive Non-Native Species Project.

 

4. NRAP Objective 4: Tackle key pressures on species and habitats

Actions to:

• Address key pressures:
• Reducing or where possible stopping the use of pesticides and herbicides by working with area maintenance managers.
• Procurement undertaking trial of “Phosphate Free” cleaning materials to assess effectiveness and cost benefit analysis – ongoing.
• Reducing the area of invasive non-native species through treatment of infested PCC land and working in partnership with “Stich in Time” PCNPA Project.
• Reducing, reusing and recycling resources – new procedures now in place to recycle more household waste.
• Climate change emergency declared.
• Notice of Motion relating to Climate Change 6 June 2019.
• Edinburgh Declaration signed October 2021.
•  Use biodivere and native nature based solutions wherever possible, for example by:
• Encouraging sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) - PCC is a SuDs Approving Body (SAB).
• Conservation Team consulted on Ordinary Watercourse Consents applications.
• Using native biodiverse urban green and blue infrastructure to manage temperature, water flow, soil erosion – including planting trees, grasslands and wetlands – Cleddau Reaches Project that includes “greening” within Haverfordwest Town Centre.
• Using natural flood prevention measures, such as swales and wetlands on Afon Solva in partnership with NRW.
• Providing local green spaces for communities and visitors to improve health and well-being outcomes through;

a) Cleddau Reaches Project – Old Mill Grounds & The Saltings

b) Pembroke pollinator planting & mowing changes

c) Goodwick Moor in partnership with Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales

d) Supporting Councillors and Community Environment Groups (e.g. Eco Dewi, Llanteg and Amroth Renaturing Community, Brynberian, St Dogmaels).

Measures and/or indicators monitored or collected, for example:

• Encouraging departments to reduce the use of pesticides, herbicides and other products/practices that carry risk to biodiversity.
• PCC Procurement pilot project using phosphate free cleaning materials at Thornton Depot.
• Policies introduced to promote sustainability – Zero Carbon Working Group details available in Notice of Motion relating to Climate Change 6 June 2019.
• Use of nature based solutions where appropriate.
• Area of Invasive Non-Native Species reduced or managed.

 

5. NRAP Objective 5: Improve our evidence, understanding and monitoring

Actions to:

• Improve the use of evidence in decision making, for example by:
• Gathering and sharing evidence through discussions with neighbouring local authority officers e.g. Ash Dieback Working Group.
• Using the best available evidence for decision making, for example using West Wales Biodiversity Information Centre (WWBIC) live data in planning decisions through the development of a web based Land Use Planning Tool.
• Having regard to the section 7 lists of species and habitats (opens in a new tab), the State of Natural Resources Report (opens in a new tab), and Area Statements (Conservation Team Members have contributed to several NRW Area Statement workshops and seminars).
• Consulting relevant stakeholders/using expert input.
• Review of Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to include Lighting.
• Identifying evidence gaps.
• Undertaking research through;

a) SACRAGs

b) Milford Haven Waterway Environmental Surveillance Group

c) Partnership development of DNA Fungi Projects with Pembrokeshire Fungus Recording Network/Kew/Aberystwyth University.

d) PCC Biodiversity Officer/Ecologist is a member of Welsh Government Marine Protected Area Management Steering Group representing WLGA.

• Share evidence accessibly, for example by
• Making data available through Local Environment Records Centres.
• Ensuring environmental evidence is accessible to local communities through discussions with local groups and relevant Councillors.

Measures and/or indicators monitored or collected, for example:

• A Service Level Agreement in place with WWIBC.
• Planning decisions made using biodiversity evidence assessed through consultation/scrutiny with PCC Specialist Advisor Ecologist and development within Biodiversity SPG of “enhancement” element for the S6 Duty.

 

6. NRAP Objective 6: Put in place a framework of governance and support for delivery

Actions to:

• Ensure governance for biodiversity within your organisation, for example by:
• Cabinet Member with responsibility for Biodiversity ensuring the S6 duty is relevant throughout the authority.
• Provide capacity for biodiversity, for example by:

• Ensuring that where needed ecological expertise can be drawn upon, either internally or externally through provision of the PCC Conservation Team and close liaison with NRW Teams and relevant Welsh Government (WG) Officers.
• Encouraging and supporting volunteer participation in action for biodiversity by staff through Employee Volunteering Scheme - This scheme allows employees to take up to three days or equivalent (pro-rata) paid time off to volunteer.
• Encouraging and supporting volunteer participation in action for biodiversity by local communities through Community Regeneration Projects.
• Ensuring the S6 Duty is monitored and reviewed with support of WG and NRW.
• Support biodiversity action through funding and/or partnerships, for example by:
• funding and administrative support to Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership to facilitate cross sector working.
• in previous years, PCC cash contribution to PNP has been used to support local conservation projects and draw down additional funding. Ecological resilience is the core theme of these projects.
• Working with PNP and adjoining area Local Nature Partnerships to coordinate Action Plans.
• Supporting other environmental organisations and projects outside of the PNP – Working with other Public Services Board members to deliver best practice in S6 duty action. An example is the provision of conservation data to fire service to inform decisions on scene by incident commanders – Pilot Trail in NW Pembrokeshire area being rolled out to additional divisions.
• Supporting community environmental groups to survey and manage local biodiversity in a sustainable manner through WWBIC Recording Days and Community Biodiversity projects in conjunction with PNP.

Measures and/or indicators monitored or collected, for example:

• Relevant volunteer days undertaken.
• Grant and investment schemes supported through PNP Grants.
• Relevant Capacity - current staff continue to be employed despite the economic recession.
• local/national environmental groups actively or substantially engaged/supported e.g. Pembrokeshire Fungus Recording Network, Buglife, Plantlife, Bumblebee Conservation, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation & Amphibian and Reptile Group UK.
• Continued liaison with Wales Biodiversity Partnership Groups, NRW and WG Departments.

 

The S6 plan is a living document and will be updated accordingly as and when the need arises.  The reporting cycle for the Council’s S6 Duty is three yearly, with the next short report to be prepared in 2025.