Agenda item

Report of the Director of Planning and Development.

The Committee received a report of the Director Planning and Development Director concerning the way in which biodiversity and ecology was addressed in national, London and City planning policies.

In response to questions from Members, an Officer stated that Open Spaces was consulted as part of the Podium application and the biodiversity and ecology submission was from a leading consultant. Judgement was used when considering when third-party review was required and it would depend on the nature of the impacts, there were experienced diversity and ecology experts in the Natural Environment department. Although consultation had been more informal in the past, this was now being formalised as a more structured way of consulting the pool of expertise on future applications, especially those with very significant biodiversity and ecology impacts. The Officer stated that the ecological assessment submitted as part of the Podium scheme was a comprehensive and rigorous piece of work in line with government guidance.

A Member asked for clarification on the pathways in the formalisation, when this process would be in place and whether City Gardens were consulted. An Officer stated that City Gardens now came under City Operations and the team had a close working relationship with the Planning team. The contents of the report aligned well with the Biodiversity Action Plan that City Gardens had promoted and agreed through the Natural Environment Board. Officers would confirm the formalisation process.

A Member commented that the report did not reference marine biodiversity and ecology. The Member informed the Committee of a scheme developed by an organisation called Thames Estuary Partnership to utilise the river side to improve marine growth.

RESOLVED – That Members:-

1.         note the policy approach for biodiversity and ecology and how this was implemented in the City Corporation; and

2.         note the charging legitimate landscape around this issue and the commissioning of a study by Greengage Environmental to inform amended policy approaches.