Agenda item

To submit a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The report of the Interim Head of Service – Regulation and Economic Development incorporating the Biodiversity Plan was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Richard Dew, Portfolio Member for Planning and Public Protection introduced the report stating that this is the Isle of Anglesey County Council’s first Biodiversity Plan and has been prepared in compliance with section 6 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. In accordance with the requirements of Section 6 it sets out how the Council intends to maintain and enhance biodiversity and in doing so, promote the resilience of ecosystems thereby embedding biodiversity in its day to day decision making, plans and policies. The Plan has also been prepared to align with the objectives of the Council Plan, in particular Objective 3 (Work in partnership with our communities to ensure that they can cope effectively with change and developments whilst protecting our natural environment). It follows guidance received by Welsh Government and considers the objectives of the Nature Recovery Plan (NRAP) for Wales which identifies actions that can be delivered in the short-term and sets a course to deliver longer term commitments beyond 2020. The Biodiversity  Plan’s objectives have been written to be realistic, achievable and measurable within the timescales and its outputs will be reported annually to the Executive.

The Interim Head of Regulation and Economic Development highlighted that although the Regulation and Economic Development Service has led on developing the Plan it is expected that all the Council’s services will contribute to and be part of realising its objectives. Additionally there is an expectation that external funding will be sought to bring to fruition some of the individual projects within the Plan which is a consideration over the next few years. The Planning Built and Natural Environment Manager referred to the Action Plan as an especially important element of the broader Plan stating that it needs the Council working as a corporate whole to implement the actions set out therein.

Members of the Executive welcomed the Plan recognising the importance of biodiversity and of integrating biodiversity throughout the work of the Council. Councillor Dafydd Rhys Thomas had concerns about the decline of ash trees because of ash dieback disease and the implications for ash trees on the Island as well as the potential for wider ecological impacts.

The Portfolio Member for Planning and Public Protection in acknowledging that this is a significant national problem, confirmed that the Council’s Ash Die Back Co-coordinator is looking at the issue from the Island’s perspective and that a panel comprising of the relevant Portfolio Members and Officers  has also been established for the same purpose. Equally important is to work with landowners and community councils to identify those areas where there are diseased trees, and to develop replanting schemes where trees have been lost.

Councillor R. Meirion Jones, Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth sought clarification of the financial side and emphasised the need to keep an eye on progress.

The Planning Built and Natural Environment Manager clarified that Welsh Government runs a series of schemes under Local Nature Partnerships in Wales; these involve a range of organisations including the local authority and the Partnerships receive funding for local environment related projects. In the  region of £80k has been made available for next year for such projects and a bid will be submitted shortly - an element of this funding is for making the Council estate greener and some projects  are underway using last year’s funding for this purpose with  approximately £30k available for next year.

With regard to monitoring, the Portfolio Member for Planning and Public Protection confirmed that as part of the monitoring process an annual report will be presented to the Executive.

Councillor Ieuan Williams, Vice-Chair in expressing his support for the Plan said that  he believed that the environmental protection policies within the Joint Local Development Plan (JLDP)  need to be strengthened;  he cited an example in his own electoral area where part of a designated local wildlife site could potentially be lost should an affordable housing development proposal be permitted under exception site policy in the JLDP which allows development outside defined  boundaries which he felt conflicted with the Authority’s responsibilities and aspirations under the Biodiversity Plan. Having scanned other authorities’ Local Development Plans he had found that Section 5 of  Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council’s adopted LDP contains a policy provision with regard to exception sites for affordable housing in the countryside which stipulates that development proposals will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that  “the proposed development is not within a Green Wedge, Special Landscape Area or within, near or adjacent to an internationally, nationally or locally designated Nature Conservation Site.” He requested that consideration be given to incorporating a similar provision within the Anglesey and Gwynedd JLDP when the Plan is up for review  in order to extend protection to the same such sites in Anglesey and Gwynedd.

The Portfolio Member for Planning and Public Protection noted Councillor Ieuan Williams’s comments and confirmed that he would take the request back to the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Planning Policy Committee.

It was resolved to accept the report and to formally adopt the Biodiversity Plan.