Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Ainscough)

Report of Chief Officer – Planning and Climate Change

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Ainscough)

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer – Planning and Climate Change that  set out the purpose of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), describing the role of the strategy in agreeing priorities for nature’s recovery across Lancashire. It explained how, on completion, the LNRS would map the most valuable existing areas for nature across the County as well as identify those new areas where habitats could be created or strengthened to improve connectivity and enhance biodiversity.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

The preferred option is Option 1: Cabinet grants delegated powers to the Chief Officer of Planning and Climate Change to ensure that the City Council in its role as supporting authority responds to the draft LNRS consultation and publication LNRS within the set 28-day timeframe.  Granting delegated powers will ensure the City Council will be able to fulfil its role as a supporting authority within the required timeframes. This will ensure that the views of the City Council are taken into account and where concerns are raised there is the opportunity to address these ahead of consultation of the draft LNRS. It will also ensure that the final LNRS cannot be published unless the City Council agrees with it.

In view of the limited time for approval Officers are requesting that delegated powers be granted to the Chief Officer of Planning and Climate Change to approve the LNRS for draft consultation and then later for publication on behalf of the City Council. It is understood that similar approval is being requested at other supporting authorities across the County.

Councillor Ainscough proposed, seconded by Councillor Wood:-

“That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)            That delegated power be granted to the Chief Officer of Planning and Climate Change to make decisions on the progress of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), particularly in regard of approving the draft LNRS for consultation and to approve the publication of the final LNRS.

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Officer of Planning and Climate Change

Reasons for making the decision:

Whilst Lancashire County Council is responsible for the preparation of the strategy Lancaster City Council is identified as a supporting authority, responsible for assisting the County Council in identifying local priorities and importantly in providing approval of the strategy for wider consultation at its draft stage and again prior to its publication. The regulations state that the supporting authorities will be given 28 days to grant this approval. In view of the limited time for approval respective decisions are delegated to the Chief Officer of Planning and Climate Change to approve the LNRS on behalf of the Council.

The decision is consistent with the Council Plan: The objectives of the report support and complement The Council Plan’s Ambition 1.4 “Respecting Nature” on Ecology & Biodiversity to “increase biodiversity, protect our district’s unique ecology and ensure the habitat provided for wildlife is maintained”.

The objectives of the report support and complement the Planning and Climate Change Service Business Plan objective 1.4 on Respecting Nature. This sets Service priorities aligned with the Council Plan that aim to increase biodiversity and ensure wildlife is maintained and improved.