The Biodiversity Partnership

TURNING PLANS IN TO ACTION

Conserving biodiversity is not the sole preserve of conservationists. It relies on the work of virtually all sectors of society whose activity either directly impacts on the natural environment or influences the attitudes or understanding of those who do. In Northamptonshire, as in the rest of the British Isles, the fate of the natural world is shaped by people in government, statutory agencies, local authorities, the farming and landowning community, voluntary conservation organisations, industry and commerce and, beyond these sectors, all of us in our everyday lives.

If conservation relies on everyone’s actions, then it has to compete with all the pressing priorities on the resources of individuals and organisations, both financial and human. It tends to fair badly in this competition, and the resources for conservation have always been limited. Aside from the limitation placed on conservation by a lack of recognition of its legitimacy, another major obstacle to progress has been the lack of co-ordination between those engaged in conservation activity. For many years there has been inadequate linkage between the conservation actions of different sectors, such that actions have often been disparate and ad hoc, following no common objectives.

If the limited resources for conservation are to be put to best use, there needs to be a greater degree of co-ordination between those with resources at their disposal. Partnership is needed, based on the recognition and agreement of common objectives, and the sharing of effort. Partnership - real partnership based on agreement and commonality of approach - is the guiding principle behind biodiversity planning, and is the driving force behind ‘A Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire’.

Partnership for biodiversity conservation needs to embrace not only those organisations traditionally associated with the environment, but also those sectors who, because of their powers, activities, responsibilities or interests have important roles to play in ensuring that our natural resources are utilised in an environmentally sustainable manner.

‘A Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire’ offers the chance to generate a new sense of common ownership of the subject, the problems and the solutions. It offers perhaps the best chance we have ever had of gaining the commitment necessary to secure real conservation and enhancement ‘of Northamptonshire’s natural environment in to the future.

The habitat and species action plans defined in ‘A Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire’ reflect the roles of a wide variety of organisations and sectors in Northamptonshire. They seek to play to the strengths and abilities of those organisations and sectors, while setting challenging targets that will stretch the efforts of all parties. The Plans follow the format of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, by identifying Lead Agencies to deliver individual actions, together with associated Partners in that delivery.

The following sections define the roles of the key players in this process

The Role of Farmers and Land Managers

Farmers and land managers are central to achieving the goal of maintaining a rich and varied natural environment in Northamptonshire. As stewards of the countryside they ultimately control the future of much of Northamptonshire’s biodiversity.

In a rural county like Northamptonshire the land is a vital component of the local economy, as well as being the backdrop to everybody’s lives and the habitat of wildlife. Farmers and landowners are expected to balance their need to gain a viable return from their land, with their responsibility to maintain the landscape and wildlife qualities enjoyed by the rest of the community. This has never been an easy task and has become harder in recent times, exacerbated first by BSE and latterly by Foot and Mouth Disease.

As the practitioners at the sharp end of the land use process, farming activities have always been fundamental for biodiversity. If economic circumstances, subsidy weighting, public opinion and personal preference do not favour conservation on the farm, then it will not happen. Until recently the first three of these factors, and often the fourth, have not provided a climate that encouraged conservation. Subsidy structures, in particular, gave a strong incentive to intensify land use at the expense of wildlife. That any biodiversity has survived at all in Northamptonshire’s countryside has much to do with the personal preferences of many farmers who chose to retain wildlife habitats despite the pressures and incentives for them to do otherwise.

However, much biodiversity has survived on farmland, and the circumstances affecting farmers’ choices over its future are changing quickly. The scale and direction of financial support from Europe for farming are under constant review, and are likely to alter substantially in the coming years, moving away from production-based subsidy and towards support for the management of the countryside in a more holistic sense. Meanwhile the vagaries of the market will determine what succeeds and what fails for the farmer, even more directly than it does now. Farmers are already turning to alternative sources of income from their land, to supplement their traditional products. Amongst these alternatives, the value of an attractive and diverse natural environment on the farm is being seen more and more as a potential economic asset.

The use in recent years of agri-environment measures, such as Countryside Stewardship, and woodland establishment and management grants has served to demonstrate that maintaining features which contribute to biodiversity can be a viable part of running a successful farm enterprise. As these schemes develop further the biodiversity targets set out in this document are likely to influence their extent and local targeting.

To support the farmer in meeting the challenge of retaining and enhancing biodiversity as a part of the farm business, advisory services have been developed in Northamptonshire over recent years. Such advice can be in the form of environmental information in the context of wider farm business support services offered by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS); facilitation of agri-environmental grant schemes provided by the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA): or guidance on statutory environmental regulations provided by the Environment Agency and local authorities. Local authorities also offer more general countryside management services to the farmer. Several conservation organisations offer practical advice on farm management for wildlife, ranging from those focusing on designated sites (English Nature), County Wildlife Sites (The Wildlife Trust) and general advice on wildlife on the farm (Northamptonshire Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group). Forestry and woodland management advice also affects biodiversity interests and is offered by statutory and commercial providers, including The Forestry Commission.

Key Actions for Farmers and Landowners:

· Commission a “Whole Farm Plan” to identify wildlife assets on the farm.

· Investigate incentive schemes such as Countryside Stewardship and the Woodland Grant Scheme, to improve the wildlife value of the farm.

The Role of Industry and Commerce

Alongside the farming industry, the rest of Northamptonshire’s business community is also instrumental in determining the quality of the County’s natural environment. From the siting of built development to the education of its employees, all sectors of industry and commerce can affect Northamptonshire’s biodiversity positively or negatively.

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly significant for the marketing department and in the boardrooms, for the simple reason that customers now rate environmental performance and quality as an important factor when making their consumer choices. A company which demonstrates a good environmental track record; offers products whose creation and packaging has not harmed and will not harm the environment and which uses resources and deals with its waste in a manner which does not deplete or pollute the natural environment is likely to gain customer preference over one which does not.

As well as ensuring that their working practices do not harm or deplete the natural environment, business is also in a position to contribute hugely to its conservation and enhancement. The investment and return from developing industrial sites and business premises offers opportunities to put something back, by providing finance or material support for environmental projects on or near the sites concerned. An enlightened transport policy can promote car sharing, use of public transport, home working and other measures which reduce a business’s impact on its local environment. These and similar measures look good in the brochures and the annual review, and also have a real and positive effect.

A company with a commitment to its local natural environment can contribute significantly to generating awareness of that environment, by offering its employees training and personal development opportunities in the form of chances to experience wildlife, work on local conservation projects and learn about environmental issues and the part the company has to play in influencing those issues.

In a rural county, the "County of Spires and Squires", an attractive countryside with rich and varied wildlife can form the basis of a thriving sustainable tourism industry. The level of tourism in Northamptonshire is increasing annually and there is scope for even greater expansion. In this respect the economic good sense for business to contribute to maintaining a rich and varied natural environment in Northamptonshire is directly apparent. An increasing interest and demand for ‘Green Tourism’ products serves to reinforce the links between a flourishing biodiversity and healthy commercial sector.

Key Actions for Business and Commence:

· Use improved environmental performance as a marketing tool.

· Support local conservation projects and organisations.

· Become a ‘champion’ for a priority species.

· Promote car sharing, use of public transport and home working to reduce the impact on the local environment.

· Enable employees to participate in conservation projects as a personal development opportunity.

The Role of Government Departments and Agencies

The local representatives of government departments in Northamptonshire and the East Midlands, especially the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, occupy pivotal roles in the achievement of biodiversity conservation. In the allocation of resources and expertise at the local level, the implementation of regulation and the approval of development policy, and in influencing national and European policy and funding mechanisms, officials have a far-reaching influence on the county’s biodiversity. Though confined by the national frameworks in which they operate, an understanding of commonly held biodiversity conservation objectives offers government departments a valuable opportunity to mould and monitor their actions and policies.

Statutory Agencies, notably English Nature, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission, have been instrumental in achieving environmental conservation for many years. Today they are working more than ever to co-ordinate their actions and initiatives to achieve a strong and coherent approach to the promotion of biodiversity. As regulators with regard to water conservation and designated sites, providers of advice and assistance, funders of countryside projects through voluntary bodies and local authorities and land managers in their own right, these Agencies figure frequently as Action Plan partners.

Key Actions for Government Departments and Agencies:

· Ensure that national resources are targeted to meet local biodiversity needs.

· Ensure that advisory services are consistent with the Local Biodiversity Action Plan

The Role of Local Authorities

Many of the duties and powers of local government have a direct or indirect bearing on biodiversity conservation. As planning authorities, the county, district and borough councils determine the impact of all development subject to planning law on the natural environment. The degree to which planning authorities appraise themselves of the environmental sensitivity of land subject to planning proposals, the extent to which they seek to develop policies which recognise the need to steer development away from land rich in biodiversity and the nature of the working relationships they develop with outside sources of expertise on conservation matters, will determine their effectiveness in using the planning system to serve the interests of the natural environment. Local authorities also exercise discretionary powers that can be used to promote conservation initiatives and facilitate a more co-ordinated approach to land use and management, in partnership with others.

The County Council, Corby Borough Council and Daventry District Council have established countryside services which manage Country Parks and Local Nature Reserves, support initiatives and directly carry out work to protect and enhance the natural environment. These services are instrumental in carrying out community exercises to generate support for conservation, such as those undertaken by the Nene Valley Project. In addition they provide finance for conservation initiatives, either directly or through service level agreements via voluntary bodies equipped to deliver conservation on the ground.

Local authorities have the powers to declare Local Nature Reserves and as such can ensure the appropriate management of the wildlife sites which they own, or in which they have a legal interest, for their biodiversity and to promote their use and enjoyment by the local community.

The Pocket Parks Scheme operated by the County Council in partnership with the district and borough councils enables local communities, usually through parish councils, to acquire and manage land of local wildlife importance. The Pocket Parks Officer at the County Council provides a comprehensive grants and advisory services covering acquisition, management and promotion.

Key Actions for Local Authorities:

· Ensure that key habitats and species are protected in development plans.

· Support the development of a Local Biological Records Centre to ensure that they have a good knowledge of the county’s natural assets.

· Provide biodiversity advice to the community.

· Manage their own land in an appropriate manner.

· Support local conservation projects and organisations.

· Declare Local Nature Reserves to ensure the appropriate management of important wildlife sites.

The Role of the Voluntary Sector

Several voluntary bodies concerned directly and exclusively with wildlife or landscape conservation operate in Northamptonshire. The political significance of voluntary organisations lies in their support from and direct links with the public, through members and supporters. In addition the strength of voluntary bodies lies in their ability to react quickly and adapt their operations in order to fulfil specific conservation functions, and their relative freedom to operate outside the immediate scope of political constraints. These factors, combined with a professional approach and effective access to alternative sources of funding, are serving to increase the size and significance of the voluntary bodies in biodiversity action.

Voluntary bodies such as the Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust acquire and manage land directly as nature reserves. The Wildlife Trust in particular manages many of the most important sites for biodiversity in the county. Several voluntary bodies offer expertise and advisory services to other land managers. These include the Wildlife Trust, Northamptonshire Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). The Wildlife Trust, in conjunction with all the local authorities, has identified over 900 County Wildlife Sites, important habitats outside the statutory protection framework. Northamptonshire FWAG offers a whole-farm advisory service to farmers.

Other voluntary bodies such as the BTCV contribute directly to practical action through the involvement, training and deployment of volunteers on conservation projects. Several bodies such as Wildlife Trust, RSPB and Friends of the Earth campaign directly on conservation issues, seeking to influence policy makers and reflecting local priorities in national lobbying. A larger number of smaller bodies focus on particular wildlife subjects through local recording, research, involving the public in the enjoyment of wildlife, habitat management and advice. These include Butterfly Conservation, the Hawk and Owl Trust, Northamptonshire Bird Club, the Botanical Society of the British Isles, Northamptonshire Bat Group, Northamptonshire Badger Group to name only a few.

Key Actions for the voluntary sector:

· Acquire and manage land for wildlife.

· Provide expert advisory services.

· Undertake practical action through the involvement and training of volunteers.

· Undertake community projects.

· Inform local policy makers.

· Reflect local priorities in national lobbying.

· Undertake monitoring and research

The Role of Individuals

Everybody in Northamptonshire can make a difference to their local biodiversity. Wildlife gardening creates wildlife havens in towns and villages for birds, mammals, invertebrates and amphibians. Garden ponds alone are home to species of national and local significance, including the Great Crested Newt, and garden bird feeders sustain many species who struggle to find winter food.

Individuals can demonstrate their commitment to nature conservation by joining local voluntary organisations. Their subscriptions will help to fund the day to day operations of these organisations and as many are involved in practical conservation projects, such as managing nature reserves, individuals can make a difference through their physical efforts. One of the 73 community-owned and managed Pocket Parks is bound to be nearby. Pocket Park Groups are always looking for new volunteers who can help with management and fundraising. If there is not a Pocket Park within easy reach, then the Pocket Parks Officer at the County Council can help people to set one up.

Individuals can also participate in monitoring schemes without even leaving the comfort of their own homes. Some of the most threatened species in the county are our, once common, garden birds, such as the House Sparrow whose population has crashed in recent years. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) operates an annual garden birds survey in which everybody can participate.

Key Actions for Individuals:

· Manage their gardens for wildlife.

· Join a local conservation organisation.

· Become a conservation volunteer.

· Raise funds to support the conservation of local wildlife.

· Participate in surveys and monitoring schemes.

The Role of Colleges and Research Institutions

Quality information is a prerequisite for effective biodiversity action, whether it is information on the habitat requirements of certain species, the response of habitats to different management regimes or environmental influences, or the distribution and ecology of species of conservation concern. Colleges and research institutions undertake much of the basic research and information gathering of this kind. The expertise of these institutions can contribute greatly to ensuring that land management, advice and policy across all sectors is founded upon principles of good science, in terms not just of ecology but also of economics and sociology, gained through quality academic research. Academic research on issues which impact closely on biodiversity, such as agricultural economics, sustainable development, tourism, education and other disciplines, has a potentially huge contribution to make to the future of the county’s biodiversity.

Universities and other educational institutions have another important role, through their degree courses and other education and training services, to inform and stimulate students and staff on all aspects of biodiversity and its conservation.

Key Actions for Colleges and Research Institutions:

· Train a new generation of professional environmentalists.

· Contribute to local surveys and monitor schemes.

· Undertake detailed research in to key habitats and species

Funding Biodiversity Conservation

A key potential benefit of planning for biodiversity conservation is the opportunity afforded to co-ordinate the work programmes of a range of organisations in a way which maximises use of limited finance. To a large extent such co-ordination will require no more than a refinement or change of emphasis in an organisation’s existing work programme. Some of the actions identified in the Plan call for the maintenance and continuation of existing programmes, requiring a continued allocation of existing funding. Other actions may require the re-direction of existing funding towards different priorities. In other cases still, the achievement of actions may necessitate seeking funds from new sources.

Recently introduced sources of external funding are becoming increasingly important mechanisms for the achievement of biodiversity action. These include Landfill Tax, which has begun to release substantial funds through partnerships between landfill operators, local authorities and voluntary bodies and Heritage Lottery Funding, which has been accessed extensively by voluntary bodies to fund land acquisition and management of heritage assets.

Funding bodies are becoming aware of the strategic significance of Biodiversity Action Plans, and are recognising their value as a means of assessing the contribution which projects can make to commonly agreed priorities. Increasingly they will require that projects seeking funding form part of a recognised biodiversity action plan as part of the process of evaluating funding applications.

Commercial sponsorship of national biodiversity action plans, for example by the supermarket chain Tesco in its support for the national Skylark Action Plan, provide a further important mechanism for attracting private funding into commonly-agreed priority work for biodiversity. This approach offers exciting possibilities at the county level, where local or national companies will be invited to become the local champion for a species or habitat, thereby contributing towards the conservation and enhancement of Northamptonshire’s wildlife resource, and reinforcing the links between business and biodiversity.

Relevance to Other Plans and Strategies

‘A Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire’ must not stand in isolation from other plans and initiatives. Rather, it is intended to guide and influence the work of a range of statutory and non-statutory organisations. It should not be seen as an unnecessary addition to already over-loaded work programmes, but as an aid to identifying priorities and therefore streamlining existing strategic initiatives which impact on the natural world.

A wide range of plans stand to gain by drawing on the objectives, targets and actions set out in ‘A Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire’. Indeed, a number of agencies and organisations in Northamptonshire have already incorporated elements of the species and habitat action plans into their own strategic plans, such as the Environment Agency in its Local Environment Agency Plans. This process can help to ensure local action for certain important species and habitats and coincides with and contributes to county-wide priorities in the Plan. Other ‘functional plans’ stand to benefit from this approach, including those produced by Northamptonshire County Council, borough and district councils, English Nature, the Forestry Commission, the Highways Agency and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The County Structure Plan and Local Plans determine the strategic role of development control in the delivery of biodiversity action and as such should be guided by ‘A Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire’. As well as their role in the protection of important statutory sites, such as SSSIs, and non-statutory sites such as County Wildlife Sites, development plans also play an important role in the protection and enhancement in the wider countryside. Government guidance to local authorities on nature conservation (PPG9) states that:

"Statutory and non-statutory sites, together with countryside features which provide wildlife corridors, links or stepping stones from one habitat to another, all help to form a network necessary to ensure the maintenance of the current range and diversity of our flora and fauna"

In this respect, ‘A Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire’ is well-placed to guide local authorities in translating this advice into action for habitats such as hedgerows, rivers and streams, which are important as wildlife corridors, and for species such as the dormouse, water vole and otter.

Implementation, Monitoring and Review

The publication of ‘A Biodiversity Action for Northamptonshire’ is intended to mark the beginning of a process, not the completion of one. The implementation of the Plan, through co-operation, partnership and close communication, will require the input of many organisations. Impetus for this process will be provided by the Northamptonshire Biodiversity Steering Group, through the Northamptonshire Nature Conservation and Landscape Forum which has supported the development of the Plan to date.

However, the biodiversity planning process requires that individual habitat and species action plans are progressed by the bodies best placed to take such a role. Their role is not solely to ensure that the plans are turned into action. It is important that the progress of the initiative as a whole is monitored, that results are fed back to partners, and that a mechanism for review and updating of plans is put in place. These elements are set out below.

Implementation - the Need for Lead Agencies

In the case of each habitat and species action plan, one or more organisations stand out as being particularly well placed to take a lead role in delivery. Such a lead may in some cases be appropriately taken by an agency whose statutory functions are closely linked to the subject of a given plan, or in other instances by a voluntary body which specialises in the conservation of a given species or habitat.

Lead Agencies have been identified for each action plan. The role of the lead agencies is to co-ordinate the progress of a plan, with or without an associated financial commitment. Staff or volunteer time will be the main commitment required. Lead Agencies will undertake the following roles:

· Promoting the implementation of an individual action plan, by providing guidance and encouragement to organisations identified as potential deliverers of actions;

· Co-ordinating the work programme set out in the action and monitoring progress;

· Exploring options for obtaining funds or in-kind support to aid implementation of all or part of the plan.

This approach is not intended to require the Lead Agencies to do more than a reasonable share of the work in implementing actions, nor to let other organisations take a ‘back seat’ in delivering their own actions. All relevant organisations need to work together in implementing Action Plans.

Key Action

Ensure that Lead Agencies fulfil their role

Monitoring Progress

‘A Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire’ sets out ambitious and challenging targets for the conservation and enhancement of the county’s biodiversity. For progress in the delivery of these targets to be recognised, it is important to establish a means of monitoring the Plan as a whole. Monitoring should serve to evaluate the effectiveness of working partnerships; the role of lead agencies and ultimately the achievement of actions towards agreed targets. The end point of this process, clearly, should be to seek to identify a tangible difference on the ground for the habitats and species that are the subject of targeted action.