The Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to meet on Friday 3 October 2025 to discuss a number of reports and updates. Items to be discussed included the Durham City Green Corridor, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, financial forecasts, and performance management. The committee was also scheduled to review the minutes from the Environment and Climate Change Partnership Executive Board meeting held on 1 July 2025.

Durham City Green Corridor

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Durham City Green Corridor (DCGC), a partnership project between Durham County Council and the National Trust. The report in the public reports pack, written by Mark Jackson, Corporate Director of Neighbourhoods and Environment, noted that the project's ambition is to:

create a significant nature and access-rich corridor that provided the potential to connect urban communities with the countryside on the city's fringes, running along the River Wear.

A presentation by representatives from the National Trust was also scheduled.

The report noted that the project has made progress in capacity building, health and wellbeing, accessibility, and enhancing nature. It also stated that the council and the National Trust are exploring options for continued support beyond 2025, including leveraging funding from other sources.

Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Biodiversity Net Gain

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The report in the public reports pack, written by Mark Jackson, Corporate Director of Neighbourhoods and Environment, stated that the Environment Act 2021 established the requirement for developers to offset any biodiversity lost through development and deliver a 10% BNG, and for responsible authorities to develop a LNRS¹. The LNRS is intended to facilitate nature recovery and delivery of ecosystem services at a local level by informing and guiding local planning and directing resources for habitat improvements.

A presentation by the Interim Environment and Design Manager and the Ecology Manager was also scheduled.

The report noted that Durham County Council is the responsible authority tasked with production of the Durham LNRS and that the LNRS is on track to be published in March 2026, with public consultation commencing November 2025.

The report also noted that the council has significant land holdings and could use income from BNG to achieve some of its ambitions for the natural environment and public open spaces, along with delivering reduced cost BNG credits for internal developments. However, the council cannot act as regulator to itself, and as such, needs to have an agreement with a third party to utilize its land for this purpose.

Forecast of Revenue and Capital Outturn

The committee was scheduled to receive a joint report from Paul Darby, Corporate Director of Resources, and Mark Jackson, Corporate Director Neighbourhoods & Environment, providing details of the forecast outturn budget for the service area. The report included major variances in comparison with the budget, based on the position to the end of Quarter 4 (31 March 2025) and Quarter 1 (30 June 2025).

The report noted that Neighbourhoods was reporting a cash limit overspend of £0.321 million against a revised budget of £119.418 million, while Culture, Sport & Tourism was reporting an overspend of £0.859 million against a revised budget of £17.592 million for Quarter 4 2024/25.

For Quarter 1 2025/26, Neighbourhoods was reporting a forecast underspend of £5.083 million against a revised budget of £112.070 million, while Culture, Sport & Tourism was reporting a cash limit overspend of £0.652 million against a revised budget of £17.379 million.

Performance Management Report

The committee was scheduled to receive the Quarter One 2025/2026 Performance Management Report from John Hewitt, Chief Executive. The report provided information on progress towards achieving the council's strategic ambitions and objectives.

The report noted that in the May council elections, Reform UK was elected as the new administration for the council and that the interim ambitions, objectives and political direction of the administration were set out in a paper to Cabinet on 21 July following the end of quarter one, 2025/26.

The report also noted that the council was showing strong performance across its strategic ambitions:

• For Supercharging Our Economy, above target attendances continue to be recorded at cultural venues and Bishop Auckland Food Festival generated a direct economic impact of almost £450,000.
• For Building Better Communities, reports of fly-tipping remain low, environmental cleanliness is high, and more long-term properties are being brought back into use.
• For A Practical Environmental Stewardship, key measures around waste collection and disposal show that the council is diverting a smaller proportion of waste to landfill, and household recycling rates have improved.

Environment and Climate Change Partnership Executive Board Minutes

The committee was scheduled to review the minutes from the Environment and Climate Change Partnership Executive Board meeting held on 1 July 2025. According to the minutes in the public reports pack, Jim Cokill (JC), from Durham Wildlife Trust, chaired the meeting.

The minutes included updates from Kate Burrows (KB) from Durham Community Action, and Ellie Grimes (EG) from Durham County Council, on the ECCP Work Streams.

The minutes also noted that Chris Woodley Stewart (CWS) explained that the Ecological Emergency Board was set up as the nature arm of the Environment and Climate Change Partnership, and that the principal task is to drive production of the statutory Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS).

Ross Lowrie (RL) and Karen Daglish (KD) gave a presentation to the Board from NECA².