Purpose

The purpose of this report is to introduce the Council’s first statutory
Biodiversity Duty Report, required under the Environment Act 2021, which mandates
public authorities to consider, act on, and report biodiversity actions every
reporting cycle.

 

The report provides the Executive with an overview of actions already
undertaken over the reporting period (2024–2025) and planned actions for the
next period, in line with DEFRA guidance for local authorities.

 

The report seeks approval to publish the Biodiversity Duty Report by the
statutory submission deadline of 20th March 2026.

 

The Environment Act 2021 introduced a
strengthened 'biodiversity duty' requiring all public authorities in England to
consider what they can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity. The Act
requires all local authorities and local planning authorities in England to
publish a report detailing actions they have taken and plan to take to comply
with their statutory biodiversity duty.

 

The end date of the first reporting period
should be no later than 1 January 2026, and the report must be published within
12 weeks of the period’s end. Therefore, for a reporting period ending 1
January 2026, the publication deadline is 26 March 2026.

 

The Biodiversity Duty Report (Appendix A)
accompanying this paper follows the DEFRA template to report on actions
undertaken in the reporting period 2024 to 2025.

 

The report also covers proposed future actions
to ensure alignment with recent initiatives including the submission of the
Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy LNRS).

 

 

Decision

RESOLVED that the Executive:

 

(a)  approves
the Council’s first Biodiversity Duty Report, as attached at Appendix A to the report,
for publication by the statutory submission deadline of 26 March 2026, in
accordance with the Environment Act 2021 Biodiversity Duty requirements;

 

(b)  approves
the proposal to report every two years on whole of Biodiversity Duty report,
alongside annual BNG reporting; and

 

(c)   delegates
authority to the Director of Planning and Regeneration, following consultation
with the Executive Member for Planning and Development, to make minor updates
before publication.