Biodiversity Strategy Steering Group Minutes 12-05-09

NOTES OF BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY STEERING GROUP MEETING
12 MAY 2009

            Present:-
            Bill Waller
            Kathryn Edwards
            Karen Davies
            Kate Dewey
            Paul Candlin

            Apologies:-
            Claire Waterson
            Ali Glaister
            Naomi Perry
            Dave Cadman

1 Notes of the Last Meeting: matters arising/actions

Paul C will be Natural England rep at these meetings.
Kate's monitoring project has been ongoing and Kate will be completing the report in the near future. This should help inform future work on biodiversity in planning. Kate to send her presentation through to circulate.
Naomi had sent an update for the group, including on Green Infrastructure work. A GI Strategy will be produced. She hopes that SBI re-surveying will take place. The latter is a key issue and we (as we have for a long period of time) continue to push for re-surveys. BAP habitat focus from NE - Paul will look into whether there could be support from NE eg either via a letter of support regarding re-surveying or even possible funding for survey work.
There was no further update regarding changes to Section 106 arrangements/planning obligations/community infrastructure levy (Naomi to update Group when there is anything to report).
It would be really useful to get data from previous planning applications and put it onto Staffs Ecological Record. There may be an issue of the data going into the public domain. Kate will check with Craig re copyright issue on survey data.
The Stafford Walking Guide is still in draft - KD will circulate when appropriate and NE keen to view - link to their work with communities, Walking for Health/Green Exercise.
HLS application successful, thanks for Paul C's help!

2 Biodiversity Programme

Bill reported on recent work on LNR's and other sites.

Three new sites in HLS. Good work going on on Ferndown including an open day/celebration event later in the year. The cows have just come back onto Barlaston and Rough Close Common.

Victoria Park - we are working with Friends of Victoria Park and SWT/Staffs Ecological Services to achieve some biodiversity improvements here. Green Flag judging will take place on 29 May - we will support this as there are strong biodiversity criteria for judging (WWIKD).

Are the bird boxes there being used? This could be a useful monitoring project.

Kate gave Bill her background work with Joe Scully ref biodiversity opportunities in Victoria Park. Thanks!

3 Planning and Biodiversity Leaflet

We have now got the final copy printed! This will be promoted amongst our own planners and given out to developers and put on website as a pdf. It could be passed onto WMBP and other local authorities as an example of good practice (WWIKD) and we will do some PR too.

The Biodiversity Checklist also needs to be flagged up again and hopefully adopted by Stafford Borough Council - WW/KD.

A discussion was held re the pros and cons of compiling a list of ecologists for survey work.

KD explained to the Group that the SD and Climate Change Strategy that is being put together for SBC is to become a Climate Change Strategy/Action Plan. There will still be a robust biodiversity element to this. WW to attach this to minutes - comments welcome (ALL). Kate suggested that PAS 2010 criteria might be relevant for this. Bill has previously looked at PAS 2010 (Bill to check if this might be useful/scout round to see if it's being used by other Local Authorities).

The question was raised whether SBC Planners might have any training needs relating to Staffordshire Ecological Records?

West Midlands Bio Pledge; Karen asked what was happening next re thus Pledge, esp. re whether it has brought about any progress./action??

Paul C to ask if there are any proposals for follow up work.

4 NI 197

We have a target of 8 local sites being brought into management and 9 have been.

5 Date of Events

NE on web - activities for Aqualate, Chartley Moss and Mottey Meadows this summer. These include led Health Walks recently being launched with 52 attending the first one!!! 4 Volunteer Walk Leaders had recently been trained by Karen and her colleague as part of the Sustainable and Healthy Communities team Walking for Health programme.

SWT - Dawn Choms - Doxey Marshes 5.00 am - 16 May

SBC - Ferndown Bird Walk - 19 May - 10.30 am

Beer and Food Festival - 6 June at Wolseley Centre

6 Any Other Business

We should consider adding BARS to the agenda. BARS c/o Claire Waterson.

The role of the Biodiversity Steering Group - should we look at possible themes for future meetings? Lichfield have investigated this but not implemented it + get members of group to feedback on their own activities within Stafford Borough (ALL have a think please!).

7 Date of Next Meeting

4 August at 10.15 am.

We look forward to seeing you in the new year!

For more information on Biodiversity in Stafford Borough or the Biodiversity Strategy Steering Group contact the Local Agenda 21 team T: 01785 619387 e-mail: sd21@staffordbc.gov.uk

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