A range of work, including programmes such as the creation of new nature reserves and improvements to local habitats, as well as strategies and policies already in place and planned for the future, were included in a report to South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet.
Details of existing projects and plans for the future were contained in a report the council will publish for the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs under new obligations from the Government. All local authorities are required to demonstrate the measures and plans they have to help protect and improve the natural environment in their area.
The report shows that the most effective successes have come from working with other councils and authorities, and with communities who want to improve natural habitats and biodiversity where they live.
South Gloucestershire Council has been working to help local nature since declaring a Climate and Nature Emergency in 2018. It has worked with many Town and Parish Councils as well as community groups to complete a series of annual action plans and is committed to deliver in its nature recovery goals.
Responding to the threats to our natural environment is an integral part of the Authority’s Council Plan, and all major decisions it takes are required to consider the potential impact on the local environment as we continue to adapt to our changing climate.
The council has been managing 19 Roadside Nature Reserves for over a decade. These are spaces by our roads that can contain flower species including the nationally important Lizard Orchid.
Other major projects that have seen South Gloucestershire work with local people and other local organisations including schools.
The Commons Connections project, a four-year scheme to restore, improve and connect greenspaces across the eastern edge of Bristol where it meets South Gloucestershire. Across 100 sites, the project has had an impact across 375 hectares, restoring wildflower meadows, planting trees and community orchards and creating or restoring ponds and installing footpaths and benches so that people can enjoy the habitats around them.
The project has also been working with residents supported by Avon Wildlife Trust to make improvements for wildlife across more than 500 residents’ gardens to create new Community Nature Reserves.
The council will soon launch Investing in Communities, Climate and Nature to secure and channel funding into local projects to improve local biodiversity, resilience and wider benefits for local people and our environment.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet lead member for the Climate and Nature Emergency, Cllr Louise Harris, said: “We all know there is so much to love about the natural environment in our area, which is why we are committed to protecting and enhancing it for everyone now.
“This report highlights how much energy and enthusiasm there is in our communities and among partners to make a difference and help nature thrive around us.
“Resilient natural habitats, in water, trees, grasslands and meadows help clean our air, give homes to pollinators that support food production, and give us all wonderful places to explore and appreciate.
“A diverse and healthy natural environment around us is also great for our wellbeing. We thrive when nature thrives, which is why it’s so important to protect and improve it.
“By working collaboratively to better manage the land where we live, we can help prevent flooding caused by our changing climate. And the work we do locally makes a difference, our local contribution, to slowing, stopping and ultimately reversing the damage that threatens our environment.”