Westminster City Council

RESOLVED:This Council recognises the importance of a healthy and biodiverseenvironment that ensures the wellbeing of all who live, work and study hereand support Westminster’s future prosperity. This Council also acknowledgesthe 2019 State of Nature report, which found that 15% of UK species areclassified as threatened with extinction, and 2% are already extinct....In addition to this, the Council will:(1) Declare an ecological emergency, which recognises the globalecological emergency and the local impact this has on the communitiesand businesses we serve, expanding upon the climate emergencydeclared in 2019;(2) Pledge to act during the first year of the Motion being accepted, tosecure future measurable biodiversity net gain for Westminster,building on recent achievements such as the 'Greening Westminster'fund, the 'No Mow May' initiative, local projects which supportcommunities to take action to improve biodiversity, the ban on the useof Glyphosate, the Wild Gardens competition and other initiatives;(3) Publish a strategy, within the first year of the Motion being accepted,outlining our approach to improving biodiversity within Westminster,which will formally bring together and build upon work happeningacross the council to support biodiversity net gain;(4) Undertake and publish a Green Infrastructure Audit, to assess thecurrent condition and quality of green spaces in Westminster, includingour 33 SINC locations in the City;(5) Proactively look for opportunities to work in partnership with localgroups and stakeholders, to ensure we are all working together toaddress the ecological emergency;(6) Pledge to develop plans for further action in the second year of theMotion being accepted and beyond, based on a full assessment of thescientific evidence on how best to achieve this goal;7(7) Declare its full support for the Climate and Ecology Bill, and to write toall MPs with constituencies that contain Westminster City Councilwards, to encourage them to also support the Climate and Ecology Bill.In recognition of this ecological emergency Westminster City Council will: Make Council housing estates, parks and open spaces more hospitableto a wide range of plants and animals. Encourage community engagement with habitat creation throughcommunity gardens, improving biodiversity in our streets and pocketparks. Identify how the City’s open spaces function as part of a Westminsterecological network and prioritise areas for protection andenhancement. Work in partnership with institutions, schools, businesses andcommunity groups, to raise awareness and encourage widerbiodiversity action across the City through public engagement andadvice to residents and businesses on how to protect and enhancehabitats within their neighbourhoods. Ensure the delivery of biodiversity enhancements through our planningpolicy and development control functions. Review and increase ambition on the Council’s target to increase treecanopy cover by 10% by 2050, including working with WestminsterTree Trust to make it easier for residents to propose tree planting.Work with communities to increase tree planting, and where streettrees are not appropriate, install green walls, hedges and planters forsmaller trees. Design new council housing for net gain of biodiversity andopportunities in the form of integral swift boxes and biodiverse greenroofs.

— Full Council (Source)