Issue - decisions

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Operations introduced the report which sets out how these receptor sites can be brought forward through in-house delivery now that the options available to the Council have evolved following Defra’s grant of Responsible Body status to Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Councillor Mike Smith queried the Defra calculations Councillors Quinn and O’Brien confirmed that these were specialist calculations carried out by the GM ecology unit.

Councillor Mike Smith queried whether planning applications would be legally restricted.

Councillor Quinn confirmed no development would be allowed. 

Decision Cabinet: 

1. Noted the opportunities identified in relation to in-house delivery of BNG on Council owned land. 
2. For the six Council-owned receptor sites, authorised the Executive Director of Place, Head of Property and Director of Law and Governance, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders to: 
   1. engage in works to prepare the sites for delivery; 
   2. enter into an agreement with the GMCA for the commissioning of the GMCA Responsible Body service, and agree to use the service for a period of three years; 
   3. sign a legal agreement securing the sites for 30 years, if terms can be agreed; and d) submit the sites to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs for inclusion on their register of biodiversity gain sites to enable the Council to advertise the units for sale. 
3. Noted the intention to initially submit two pilot receptor sites at Hollins Mount and Chesham (if legally secured with GMCA) to the Department for Environment, Food &

4.    Rural Affairs for inclusion on their register of biodiversity gain sites; 

5. Approved the in-house self-management of the sites and authorise up-front investment required to bring these sites to market, recognising that this work will require a dedicated resource to track and manage the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain in the Borough; and 
6. Authorised the Director of Finance to ringfence income from Biodiversity Unit sales to cover 30-year management and, maintenance costs along with any profits to support resourcing demands and, where relevant, implement other nature related projects across the Borough in accordance with the Bury Biodiversity Strategy. 

Reasons for decisions: 

To help ensure that the benefits of biodiversity net gain from development in the Borough are secured locally, as opposed to regionally or nationally. 

To improve management of, and maximise investment in, Council-owned greenspace. 

To have the ability to redirect any surpluses/profits to support the growth of resources to implement other nature related projects across the Borough.

To support and facilitate the delivery of development in Bury which meets the statutory BNG requirements. 

Alternative options considered and rejected:

·         To take no action. The lack of opportunities for developers to deliver off-site BNG within Bury is likely to result in developers delivering this outside of the Borough meaning that Bury would not benefit from biodiversity enhancements.

·         Furthermore, the Council would lose the opportunity to secure investment in and enhancement of its land.