North Tyneside Biodiversity Action Plan
Contents
Introduction
What is BiodiversityWhy Conserve Biodiversity
Global Challenge
UK Strategy
Local Biodiversity Action Plans
The North Tyneside Biodiversity Action Plan
Selection of Habitats and Species
Implementation
Monitoring and ReviewLocal people
The Planning Process and Biodiversity
Introduction
Unitary Development Plan
Business and Biodiversity
Introduction
Benefits of BiodiversityWhat Businesses Can Do
Useful Contacts/InformationHabitat Action Plans
Species Action Plans
Appendices:-
Appendix 1 –What You Can Do to Help
Appendix 2 – Case Studies
Appendix 3 – Legislation & PolicyAppendix 4 – Abbreviations
Appendix 5 – Useful Contacts
Appendix 6 – Glossary
Appendix 7 – References
Appendix 8 – List of Consultees
Introduction
1. What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the rich variety of life on earth. This encompasses all plants and animals and their habitats, even micro-organisms such as bacteria. It is not just about rare or endangered species, it also includes wildlife that is familiar to all of us in the places where we live and work. This could include a song thrush in your garden, fungus growing on deadwood or frogs and newts in a pond.
2. Why conserve biodiversity?
Biodiversity is very important because we would not be able to survive on the planet without the wide range of plants and animals we have around us. Natural habitats are the Earth’s support system, helping with flood control, preventing soil erosion and cleaning pollutants from the air. Biodiversity, therefore, is an indicator of the health of the environment, maintaining an environment that is fit to live in
Plants and animals provide us with essential resources such as oxygen, food, medicines, clothing and some of the raw materials for building and industry. They are valuable for tourism and local economies and also enrich our lives. During the last 50 years there has been an unprecedented rate of loss of wild plants and animals across the UK. It is, therefore, extremely important that we take action to reverse these trends and prevent the further decline in species and habitats, something we can all help to do.
3. Global Challenge
The Rio Earth Summit in 1992 highlighted the concerns about loss of biodiversity which resulted in over 150 governments, including the UK, signing the ‘Convention on Biological Diversity’ to take action at a national level to halt the global decline in biodiversity. Each country recognised their responsibility and, as a consequence, many now have National Biodiversity Strategies.
4. UK Strategy
In response to the Rio Summit, the UK government produced “Biodiversity: the UK Action Plan” in 1994 with the aim of conserving and enhancing biological diversity in the UK. A UK Biodiversity Steering Group was set up to prepare a detailed plan of action to stop the loss of nationally important and declining species and habitats. This group included representatives from national agencies such as English Nature, local government, Environment Agency, farming and land management, voluntary conservation bodies and industry. In 1995 “Biodiversity: The UK Steering Group Report” was published recommending four key elements to achieve biodiversity objectives:
§ Development of action plans with costed targets for key species and habitats
§ Information and data provision
§ Raising awareness and participation
§ Production of Local Biodiversity Action Plans
In response to this document, 45 national Habitat Action Plans and 391 Species Action Plans have since been produced which have clear objectives and targets to enable their progress to be monitored in the long term.
5. Local Biodiversity Action Plans
Action is required at the local level if the Governments approach for biodiversity action is to succeed. The preparation of Local Biodiversity Action Plans, as advocated by the UK Steering Group Report, is an essential means to help deliver national objectives for biodiversity and is a key element to Local Agenda 21 programmes. Local Biodiversity Action Plans have a number of functions:-
§ To ensure that national action plans are translated into effective action at the local level
§ To establish targets for species and habitats that are important to the local area and reflect the values of local people
§ To develop local partnerships to ensure that biodiversity conservation is maintained in the long term.
§ To raise awareness of the need for biodiversity conservation locally. Increasing public awareness and involvement is extremely important to the success of the plan.
§ To provide a means of monitoring progress in biodiversity conservation at both a local and national level.
6. The North Tyneside Biodiversity Action Plan
The UK Biodiversity Steering Group recommended the production of Local Action Plans with the aim of including national priorities that had been identified in the national plan as well as to identify and include plans for locally important species and habitats.
One of the first functions in the preparation of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan was to establish a biodiversity partnership in order to advance biodiversity conservation in North Tyneside. The plan provides a focus for everyone involved in implementing action to achieve the objectives and targets set out in the plan. The partnership includes a wide range of organisations including local authorities, statutory and non-statutory organisations, business, voluntary bodies and farming and landowner organisations. Working in partnership, all of these organisations can help conserve biodiversity in North Tyneside and the north east region. It is envisaged that the partnership will expand as the plan progresses and the contribution from additional partners will be invaluable to the success of the delivery of the plan.
The North Tyneside Plan includes detailed action plans for species and habitats of national importance e.g. water vole, song thrush and streams and watercourses. It also includes plans for habitats and species which are locally important, particularly in urban areas e.g. managed urban greenspace and barn owl .
7. Selection of Habitats and Species
The partnership identified 10 habitats and 9 species to be included in the plan. The species and habitats included in the plan which are not national priorities, are important in the local context. Some species are important but have not had plans produced because they have been included in actions within habitat plans, for example, brown hare and tree sparrow have been included in the lowland farmland plan.
HABITAT ACTION PLANSRiver Tyne Estuary Derelict & Unmanaged Land
Coastal Plan Buildings and Structures
Streams & Watercourses Managed Urban Greenspace
Ponds and Lakes & Marginal Habitat Woodland & Scrub
Lowland Farmland Linear Habitat
SPECIES ACTION PLANS
Water Vole Barn OwlGreat Crested Newt Grey Partridge
Bats Song Thrush
Otter Skylark
Reed Bunting
Each habitat action plan begins with a general description, an evaluation of its UK and local status and a description of key sites and species associated with that habitat. Each species action plan also begins with a general description and an evaluation of its UK and local status then has a section detailing the legislation that protects that species. Both species and habitat plans then have a section where issues of concern are identified and objectives and targets proposed to address these issues. The
objectives are statements to identify how we can protect and enhance each habitat and associated with these are measurable targets set in the context of national and regional targets.
8. Implementation
The Plan includes targeted actions which are either set out over a number of timescales or are ongoing, depending on the nature of the action. The actions included in the plan are not just aimed at statutory and non-statutory agencies, but are also aimed at involving community groups, volunteers, educational establishments, local businesses and all members of the public in conserving and enhancing our local environment. Implementation of action will include a range of functions such as land-use planning, grant-aid and funding opportunities and land management and each partner has a particular role to play. Success of the biodiversity action plan will, therefore, depend on well co-ordinated implementation at the local level.
9. Monitoring and Review
Since the production and implementation of Local Biodiversity Action Plans is an ongoing process, species and habitat action plans will be reviewed and updated as information becomes available and new priorities are identified. Although much is already being done for biodiversity in North Tyneside, the Biodiversity Action Plan process provides a framework for biodiversity action.
The introduction of the national Biodiversity Action Reporting System (BARS) will encourage all local BAPs to report their progress through BARS. This allows performance to be measured and contributions to national targets through local action to be quantified. It is intended that the North Tyneside BAP will be implemented over 10 years with ongoing reporting through the national BARS system and a review after 5 years in order to evaluate progress towards targets. This will allow the plan to be revised and updated by reviewing current activities, identifying new priorities and setting new targets.
10. Local People
It is particularly important that people who live and work in the borough feel involved in the North Tyneside BAP because;
§ Community involvement is very important in implementing many of the plans and achieving targets
§ Local businesses can improve their work environments and their internal work practices to incorporate biodiversity and contribute towards the BAP targets.
§ Individuals can carry out tasks in their own back gardens or allotments that can contribute to the plan simply by taking note of some of the targets for these areas e.g within the urban managed greenspace plan.
§ Education establishments can carry out projects that would fit in with the national curriculum, whilst also benefiting wildlife. For example, the creation of wildlife areas, organic gardening projects, involvement with biodiversity projects in the wider borough or volunteering.
The plan demonstrates how we can all conserve biodiversity at a local level, whilst contributing on a national and global scale. We hope that everyone will get involved in contributing to our local biodiversity in North Tyneside and make a real difference to conserving and enhancing nationally and locally declining resources. If you want to get involved, have a look at the ‘What You Can Do To Help’ section at the back of the plan (Appendix 1).
The Planning Process and Biodiversity
Introduction
Local authorities play a key role in the protection and enhancement of wildlife in the UK through the statutory planning process. Development plans are required to take full account of nature conservation according to national law and planning guidance as well as through international obligations.
Regional Planning Guidance (RPG1) sets the framework for local authority development plans, local transport plans and other strategies within the region so that economic growth and regeneration can be achieved whilst simultaneously conserving and enhancing the environment.
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) has introduced major changes to the planning system to help deliver communities that are sustainable. Relevant provisions of the Act took effect from 28 September 2004. Part 1 transforms Regional Planning Guidance for the North East (RPG1) into the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and Part 2 reforms the local development plan system.
The north east has already started work to review and update the current RPG1 to prepare a Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) that will replace it. This is intended to provide clear guidance into how the region will develop over the next 15-20 years, providing a spatial framework to inform the preparation of Local Development Documents (LDDs) and taking into account priorities for the environment such as protection of the countryside and biodiversity. The government intends to give the RSS statutory status which increases its importance and will help ensure that other regional and local plans are prepared which conform to it.
The Planning Green Paper, “Planning-delivering a fundamental change” (2001) announced the Government’s intention to review all its planning policy guidance. Planning Policy Statements (PPS) will, therefore, replace the existing series of Planning Policy Guidance notes (PPGs), to make them shorter and more focused.
Specific advice on the content of Regional Spatial Strategies can be found in Planning Policy Guidance notes (PPGs) or new Planning Policy Statements (PPSs). These set out the Government’s national policies on different aspects of planning. Planning Policy Guidance note 12: Development Plans (PPG12) has been replaced by PPS12: Local Development Frameworks. The policies set out in this statement should be taken into account by local planning authorities in the preparation of local development frameworks.
A draft Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9) on Biodiversity and Geological Conservation is currently out for consultation (September 2004) with the intention that this, along with a new Government Circular and a ‘best practice’ document, should replace Planning Policy Guidance note 9 (PPG9), Nature Conservation published in 1994.
The draft PPS9 sets out the Governments policy objectives in relation to biodiversity and geological conservation in England, with proposed planning policies that will help deliver these objectives. These polices are firmly based on principles set out in “Working with the grain of nature – a biodiversity strategy for England” (DEFRA 2002) and the Governments objectives to promote sustainable development whilst conserving the diversity of England’s wildlife and geology.
PPG9 enhanced the scope and remit of the planning system in maintaining and protecting biodiversity. Most of the policies in draft PPS9 are based on the existing PPG9 policies, which continue to reflect statutory obligations for nature conservation but have a clearer focus on the conservation and enhancement of biological and geological diversity. The draft document sets out key principles that local planning authorities need to adhere to so that any potential impacts on the biodiversity and geological resource, resulting from planning decisions, are fully considered.
Planning authorities are, therefore, in a strong position to ensure that biodiversity issues are covered in the policy making and development control stages of the planning process.
The Unitary Development Plan
Several pieces of national and European legislation and national government guidance support biodiversity objectives, including the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981 as amended), the Conservation Regulations (1994) and PPG9: Nature Conservation (1995) which will be replaced with PPS9.