St Albans City and District Council

The Motion welcomes actions currently being undertaken to support theClimate Emergency declared in 2019 and declares a Sustainability andBiodiversity Emergency to support councillors and officers with a clearer,more integrated vision encompassing all environmental issues.This Council recognises that:• We are facing a sustainability and biodiversity emergency as well as a climate emergency.• Balancing the need for economic and housing growth with measures toprotect and enhance nature has never been more urgent, given thedevelopment of a new Local Plan, the increasing pressure of pollution and the decline in biodiversity.• The conservation and enhancement of the natural environment play a pivotal role in our economy and wellbeing, providing wide-ranging benefits such as clean water and air, improved biodiversity, carbon capture, flood protection and recreation.• Sustainability, biodiversity and climate emergencies will inform the implementation of the Council’s Sustainability and Climate Strategy for 2024- 2029 which is currently already under development – this is a time to formally draw all elements together.• Reducing waste and pollution, alongside increasing the area of rich wildlife habitats, tree canopy cover and accessible green spaces for nature are intrinsically linked to tackling the climate emergency already declared in 2019.• Under the Environment Act 2021, all planning permissions granted in England (with a few exemptions such as permitted developments like home improvements) will have to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain from January 2024.To mitigate this emergency, this Council asks councillors and planning/planning policy officers to:• Ensure the delivery of biodiversity and environmental enhancements through planning policy alongside the new biodiversity net gain statutory obligations.• Consider control functions to support and monitor biodiversity net gain commitments as the responsibility of the developer in terms of resource.• Consider a biodiversity net gain policy, going beyond the minimum statutory requirement of 10%, graded on a site-by-site basis with a balanced preferred hierarchy from on-site to off-site to the purchase of statutory biodiversity credits.To mitigate this emergency, this Council asks councillors and officers in GreenSpaces to:• Identify areas for further verge/open area recovery (rewilding) and tree planting for carbon sequestration, flood management, air quality improvement and other environmental services (including nature recovery) on land we own.• Deliver a new and integrated Tree & Verge strategy, which is already being developed in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council and local partner councils/community groups.• Require all relevant council contractors to demonstrate and embed regard for biodiversity and natural habitat in the district through ongoing training.

— Full Council (Source)