The Head of Corporate Strategy has submitted a report to present Cabinet with a proposed approach to the development of a Biodiversity Strategy for the City of Oxford.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.       Note the report and the proposed establishment of steering group in connection with the preparation of the Biodiversity Strategy.

The Head of Corporate Strategy had submitted a report to present Cabinet with a proposed approach to the development of a Biodiversity Strategy for Oxford.

Councillor Jemima Hunt, Chair of the Climate and Environment Panel, presented the seven recommendations of the Panel relating to the Biodiversity Strategy Development report, and a recommendation arising from a report on fleet decarbonisation which the Panel had also considered.  Four recommendations were accepted, and four were partially accepted.  One recommendation had related to ensuring that the Council prioritised the protection of mature trees, wherever possible.  The Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice, Councillor Anna Railton, responded that there was a balance which needed to be reached in preserving mature trees whilst still being able to deliver on the Council’s priority to provide more, affordable housing: it was the role of the planning process and the planning committee to determine where that balance was.

Councillor Railton summarised that the first key step in developing the strategy would be to establish a steering group involving stakeholders, and noting the recommendation of scrutiny to include Oxford University’s Biodiversity Network and Healthy Ecosystem Restoration in Oxfordshire (HERO).  There would then need to be an exercise to evaluate a baseline and identify the most pressing issues.  The report set out suggested key areas of focus, which included maximising the biodiversity value of land under the Council’s control; supporting other organisations to do the same; and improving public access to nature within the city.  Work would also include auditing the eight sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) and 66 other sites protected by various local designations.

Cabinet heard that the intention was for the strategy to become an inspiring vision for the city as a whole which would go beyond the Council’s own land ownership to include other landowners and their biodiversity aspirations for their land.

In discussion it was suggested that biodiversity of waterways; tree planting strategies and the planting of trees providing food; and the implementation, maintenance and monitoring of biodiversity net gain sites might also be included within the work.  Correction was also provided in respect of paragraph 11, which erroneously referred to glyphosate as a pesticide rather than a herbicide.  In response to a question as to how information about improving biodiversity in domestic settings might be provided to residents, the Head of Corporate Strategy reported that the Council participated in the Climate Action Oxfordshire website, which could provide a mechanism for an organised programme of pro-active communications.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Note the report and the proposed establishment of steering group in connection with the preparation of the Biodiversity Strategy.