Councillor Milly Hill

The Environment Committee decided to agree the habitat bank application process and approve the schedule of fees on 17 September 2026. This decision will introduce a two-stage fee structure for reviewing and approving habitat bank applications. The fees are intended to recover officer time and include a £697 fee for an Expression of Interest and a £2,405 fee for a Full Habitat Bank Application Review.

The Environment Committee decided to abandon a public footpath diversion order Standish EST 43 and delegate authority to officers to serve the appropriate notices on 11 June 2026. The committee agreed to abandon the order and delegate authority to officers to serve the appropriate notices.

...to delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to express a preference for joining the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) while continuing to explore all three strategic authority options.

...to approve revisions to the Whistleblowing Policy and the Social Media Protocol for Members, and to delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer for necessary constitutional changes and to the Section 151 Officer for future minor Whistleblowing Policy amendments.

...to comply with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the council approved changes to committee membership and other appointments, including updating the allocation of seats to reflect the new political balance and considering nominations for a vacant seat on the Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging (EDIEB) Working Group.