Purpose

To consider the provision of Biodiversity Net Gain projects on land owned and maintained by Fareham Borough Council.

The recently adopted Fareham Local Plan 2037 Policy NE2 sets out a requirement for new development to provide, as a minimum, 10% biodiversity net gain.  It is recognised the challenges which some applicants, particularly small to medium developers and the Council’s own development schemes, may face in achieving this and this report proposes a solution in which the Council develops a series of Biodiversity Net Gain projects on its land to enable the permission of suitable, sustainable development whilst securing valued biodiversity improvements within the borough.

Decision

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees:

(a)  to the principle of using the Council’s land assets for the creation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Units through the delivery of a range of habitat related projects;

(b)  that, following consultation with the Executive Member for Policy & Resources, authority be delegated to the Director of Planning and Regeneration to agree an annual programme of Council sites to be used for the purposes of securing Biodiversity Net Gains Units; and

(c)  that, following consultation with the Executive Member for Policy & Resources, authority be delegated to the Director of Planning and Regeneration to enter into unilateral undertakings given by the Council as landowner to the Local Planning Authority to commit Council owned land for a minimum period of 30 years for the purposes of securing Biodiversity Net Gain projects