Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Director – Economic Growth and Housing

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director - Economic Growth and Housing seeking consideration of the approval of the role of the Council as a ‘supporting authority’ in the preparation of the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), the next steps in the preparation of the LCR Local Nature Recovery Strategy and the submission of views to Cabinet or Council. 

The report had been submitted in accordance with the Council’s Executive/Scrutiny Protocol that indicated that the views of Overview and Scrutiny Committees be sought on all strategies and plans prior to submission to Cabinet and Council.

The report indicated that the 2021 Environment Act set out a requirement for the preparation of LNRSs across the country, to be approved by March 2025, to:

·       Agree priorities for nature’s recovery

·       Map the most valuable existing areas for nature

·       Map specific proposals for creating or improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals;

that the LCR Combined Authority was the ‘responsible body’ for preparing and approving the LNRS for the region; that like the other LCR districts, Sefton Council was a designated 'supporting authority' with a specific role in this preparation process; and that the LCR were intending to approve a draft LNRS for public consultation in autumn/winter 2024/5, and the final LNRS in spring 2025 in line with Government’s deadlines.   

The report also set out the LNRS linkages and benefits; the emerging LNRS priorities for nature recovery; the emerging LNRS mapping of the most valuable existing areas for nature; and the emerging LNRS mapping of specific proposals for creating or improving habitat for nature and wider environmental goals.

The report concluded that as a designated ‘supporting authority’ for the LNRS, Sefton Council approvals were necessary before the Combined Authority as ‘responsible body’ for the LNRS could approve the draft and final Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Attached as an appendix to the report was a copy of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy Member Briefing Note prepared by the Combined Authority (July 2024).

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following matters:

·       “Making Space for Water”, the natural flood management schemes

·       The ongoing  wider stakeholder engagement on the Strategy which involved one-to-one sessions with landowners

·       The size of habitat land banks and were they the same size across different local authorities; and could the burden for such banks be borne more heavily in Sefton

·       Sefton’s liaison with other landowners such as the National Trust at Formby

·       The Sefton Coast Landscape Partnership and proposals for interconnected and dynamic coastal habitats

·       The removal of trees from sites to enable developments to take place; and what could be done to mitigate such practices

·       How local community groups could get involved in and potentially take ownership of projects

·       The potential for biodiversity projects, as part of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, having a negative impacting on the viability of affordable housing within developments       

RESOLVED:

That the role of the Council as a ‘supporting authority’ in the preparation of the LCR Local Nature Recovery Strategy and the next steps in the preparation of the LCR Local Nature Recovery Strategy be approved.