Councillor Martin Lury

Habitat Banking at Arun

From: Policy and Finance Committee - Tuesday 8th July 2025 6.00 pm - July 08, 2025

1.1. The implementation of the Environment Act 2021 (EA 2021) has required residential and commercial developments to deliver a minimum of 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units in order to secure planning permission. Where developers are unable to provide the BNG on site they are required to provide this off site in the form of BNG units. There is considerable benefit for these BNG units to be provided local to the development through locally provided habitat banks and so not to lose biodiversity from the area. 1.2. There are currently no habitat banks within the Arun area, therefore at present where off-site BNG units are generated they are required to be invested elsewhere. This report recommends the employing a project officer to develop habitat banks on ADC greenspace land. This provides the benefit of ensuring off-site biodiversity is retained local to development, enables biodiversity benefits to that greenspace and an ongoing income stream for those improvements to assist in offsetting the existing greenspace management costs. 1.3. A project officer is proposed to be appointed to set up a system for habitat banking. The project officer position would be initially funded for two years.

Recommendations Approved

Minutes

From: Full Council - Wednesday 21st May 2025 6.00 pm - May 21, 2025

Recommendations Approved

Representation on Outside Bodies 2025-2026

From: Full Council - Wednesday 21st May 2025 6.00 pm - May 21, 2025

Recommendations Approved

Appointment of Vice-Chair of the Council for the Municipal Year 2025-2026 and Chair Elect for 2026-2027

From: Full Council - Wednesday 21st May 2025 6.00 pm - May 21, 2025

Recommendations Approved

Appointment of Chair of the Council for the Municipal Year 2025-2026

From: Full Council - Wednesday 21st May 2025 6.00 pm - May 21, 2025

Recommendations Approved