Community leadership
To meet the NERC Act (2006) requirements, the main biodiversity aim of this strand is to act as an exemplar of best practice, by incorporating biodiversity into relevant strategies and within partnership working.
Context
The Council works in a variety of partnerships affecting biodiversity within Warwickshire, the West Midlands and the Country. It strives to promote, conserve and enhance Warwickshire’s biodiversity within these close-working relationships.
Biodiversity has been included in a number strategies including:
- Corporate Business Plan
- Local Area Agreement
- Climate Change Strategy
- Procurement Strategy
- Sustainable Schools Strategy
- Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan
- Minerals and Waste Strategies
Each strategy works towards the common goal of considering biodiversity within an officer’s day-to-day work or planning future projects.
Examples
- The 2008/2009 Local Area Agreement has adopted the National Indicator 197 (NI197), which is a biodiversity indicator that all Local Authorities will now be reporting on.
- The Ecology team plays a vital role on appraising county important Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation in Warwickshire within the Wildlife Sites Partnership.
- The Ecology Unit and Country Parks work closely with the Police on tackling and preventing wildlife crime.
- The council is an active committee member of a number of biodiversity-related organisations such as the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group.
- WCC is committed to Sustainable Procurement and has adopted the recommendations of the Local Government Sustainable Procurement Strategy 2007.
Best practice case studies
Please contact the team for a copy of ‘Case Study 1: Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Local Biodiversity Action Plan’