Issue - meetings

Report of Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, Councillor Mike Collins

RESOLVED THAT: 

1.    that the biodiversity report (2026- 2031) is adopted;

2.    authority is delegated to the Director of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, to make any necessary minor amendments, corrections and additions to the document prior to publication.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control began his introduction by thanking the officer team who put the report together.  He said adopting the biodiversity report for 2026-31 will fulfil and strengthen CBC’s statutory biodiversity duty under the Environment Act 2021, setting out the borough’s key habitats, species, designated sites and green infrastructure. It also summarises the actions undertaken across planning, land management and community programmes, as well as outlining progress to date.  In addition, it gives us a clear ecological baseline and sets our future priorities contained in the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, as well as the Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury Strategic and Local Plan (SLP).  The report will be reviewed towards the end of the period, with any requirements or legislation included in an updated report to be published in 2031.

Members welcomed the excellent report, which is an endorsement of the council, its staff, Cabinet Members and local groups.  They made the following comments:

-       it is good to have the opportunity to review the delivery of the policy every five years;

-       our many ‘friends’ groups do excellent work across the town, including on  railway cuttings and nature reserves.  As an urban centre, Cheltenham can be proud of how much it does to support and deliver biodiversity, through its tree strategy, planning, and commitment to biodiversity net gain; 

-       each paragraph of the report has so much behind it, with work dating back to 2006, and the council is in a good place to carry out future actions; 

-       the table at the end of the report, detailing actions and progress over the last 20 years, shows how committed CBC is to the environment and biodiversity.  It is part of the Corporate Plan, and we do so many incredible things, including wildflower planting and bee corridors, to promote biodiversity in an urban area.  Officers, volunteers and the council are to be commended;

-       it would be worth adding the new Cheltenham Tree Strategy to the report.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control welcomed these positive comments, and agreed that there is a lot going on in and around Cheltenham to support  biodiversity.  We will continue to work with our partners, and hope that this work will be carried forward by the new unitary authority.

The Leader agreed, saying our job is to continue delivering for our residents and to leave the town in the best possible way we can when the unitary authority takes over.

RESOLVED THAT: 

1.    that the biodiversity report (2026- 2031) is adopted;

2.    authority is delegated to the Director of Planning and Building Control, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, to make any necessary minor amendments, corrections and additions to the document prior to publication.