The Environment, Flooding and Climate Change Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 11 November 2025 to discuss the Action for Nature strategy and action plan, and the Tree Management Strategy. The committee was also scheduled to review the minutes from their previous meeting.

Action for Nature

The committee was scheduled to discuss the refreshed draft of Action for Nature - A Strategic Approach to Biodiversity, Habitat and the Local Environment document, and its supporting Action Plan. The Action Plan sets out specific actions under themes such as land management, monitoring, control of invasive species, partnerships, agriculture and community engagement.

The Action for Nature document describes how the council intends to meet its biodiversity duties, as well as its role as a responsible authority for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland¹. It also provides a link to the LNRS, which contains details on the state of nature across the strategy area, and identifies priorities for action to bring nature into recovery. The document recognises the importance of biodiversity as natural capital², and the opportunities for delivering biodiversity objectives. The Action for Nature document includes guiding principles such as:

• Taking a 'whole systems approach'
• Using an 'evidence based approach'
• Meeting legal and statutory obligations
• Working collaboratively
• Co-ordinating strategic thinking and delivery
• Having clear and measurable outcomes

The document also sets out the legislative and policy context, including the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, the Environment Act 2021, the UK Environmental Improvement Plan, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the National Planning Policy Framework.

The Action for Nature document recognises the importance of working with local people, partners, other public service providers, local businesses and most importantly with nature .

Tree Management Strategy

The committee was also scheduled to discuss the refreshed draft of the Tree Management Strategy, which sets out the approach for managing the council's trees and woodlands. The strategy aims to raise the profile of trees under the council's care, manage the impact of ash dieback³, and continue the initiative to plant more trees across Leicestershire. The Tree Management Strategy recognises the importance of the natural environment, and aims to improve the quality of life for citizens and local communities. The underlying principle of the strategy is to use the council's tree assets to improve quality of life and support the delivery of wider ecological and environmental objectives.

The council is responsible for managing an estimated 321,000 trees, including over 400 hectares of woodland. They also have a duty under the Highways Act to ensure that privately owned trees adjacent to the highway do not pose a danger to its users.

The strategic aims of the Tree Management Strategy are to:

• Conserve and enhance the tree resource
• Promote public safety
• Fulfil the council's legal obligations as a tree owner
• Inform customers of the council's legal obligations relating to trees
• Establish sustainable management programmes for council woodland
• Promote and increase tree planting

The Tree Management Strategy also refers to the Leicestershire Tree Charter, which calls for a collective vision and partnership working to enhance the treescape, and identifies three key drivers for action: to support a secure and safe future, to enhance the wellbeing of communities, and to facilitate sustainable enterprise.

The amenity value of council trees is calculated using the CAVAT⁴ system, and the council also uses i-Tree Eco⁵ software to quantify the environmental functions of its tree population. The Tree Management Strategy recognises the importance of incorporating both native and non-native species into tree planting programmes, and highlights the need for an appropriate range of species to create resilience to climate change.

Minutes

The committee was also scheduled to review the minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2025. During that meeting, the committee considered the Environment and Climate Change Performance Report to June 2025, and the Annual Review of Leicestershire Country Parks.