Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Planning & Development

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

(i)      That a revenue expenditure budget of £20,000 in Strategic Planning in 2022/2023 be approved to enable the commissioning of consultants to assess the deliverability of a higher percentage threshold than the statutory 10% biodiversity net gain target.

REASON

(i)      Additional resourcing is required to provide robust evidence to enable the Council to justify setting a higher biodiversity net gain target in the Local Plan than the statutory 10%. This will ensure that the Council delivers against its high environmental aspirations as set out in the Corporate Strategy.

Councillor Lynn Lambert, Cabinet Member for Planning & Development, stated that a statutory requirement was being introduced for new development to deliver 10% biodiversity net gain. In order for the Council to deliver its environmental priorities, there was an aspiration to exceed the biodiversity net gain target above this national standard.

The Cabinet Member advised that further evidence was required to enable a requirement for biodiversity net gain above the national standard to be supported by a Local Plan inspector. The report to Cabinet sought an additional budget of up to £20,000 to fund the additional specialist ecological work required.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

(i)     That a revenue expenditure budget of £20,000 in Strategic Planning in 2022/2023 be approved to enable the commissioning of consultants to assess the deliverability of a higher percentage threshold than the statutory 10% biodiversity net gain target.

REASON

(i)      Additional resourcing is required to provide robust evidence to enable the Council to justify setting a higher biodiversity net gain target in the Local Plan than the statutory 10%. This will ensure that the Council delivers against its high environmental aspirations as set out in the Corporate Strategy.