Decision

To enter into a Grant Agreement with the Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre to allow project delivery for nature recovery.

Reasons for the decision

North Northamptonshire Council is the designated Responsible Authority (RA) for the production and delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). DEFRA has provided the RA with delivery funding to support, in collaboration, the delivery of the LNRS. The Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre are a trusted partner and data store for all biological records in the authority area. This means that they hold data that cannot be sourced from elsewhere and is essential information to progress projects and make informed decisions, in addition they will have the knowledge and capability to analyse and interpret data alongside enhancing recording and providing data to other organisations that are taking part in the delivery, for example the town and parish councils.

The grant received from DEFRA amounts to £185,500 a year for the next three years, the amount to be passed to the Records Centre is yet unknown and will depend on projects and other secured funding from other providers, the maximum that would be granted to the Wildlife Trust is £75,000. The Council would always work with partners to secure other funding for projects to allow maximum benefit to be realised from the initial grant for a wide range of project delivery. Individual projects are likely going to range in value between a few thousand pounds up to £30,000.