Agenda item

Report from the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the pre-consultation draft of the South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, including the proposed governance and consultation arrangements led by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.  .

2.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Regeneration and Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Waste Services, Leisure and Green Spaces, to:

1. agree and submit the Council’s final consultation response to SYMCA on the draft South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, as set out in paragraph 3.1.
   
   
2. Endorse  the final version of the South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy in autumn 2026, following the public consultation process and prior to final sign-off by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

Consideration was given to the report which provided an overview of the pre-consultation draft of the South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (Appendix 1), outlined the governance and consultation timetable, and sought Cabinet support for the Council’s participation in the formal consultation process.

The South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy was being prepared by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), which was the designated Responsible Authority under the Environment Act 2021, working collaboratively with Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley and Doncaster local authorities and the Peak District National Park Authority as Supporting Authorities.  The South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (SYLNRS) sought to identify existing valuable habitats, priority species, priorities for nature recovery, and opportunities for enhancing biodiversity across the sub-region. The Strategy had been developed collaboratively with the 4 South Yorkshire Local Authorities and the Peak District National Park Authority, alongside voluntary and public sector partners.

The SYLNRS provided a strategic evidence base for nature recovery. While it did not place legal obligations on landowners, it would support funding bids, inform wider policy, and help attract public, voluntary and private sector investment into South Yorkshire’s green environment. Local planning authorities, in preparing new local plans and in development management decision-taking, would have regard to the LNRS and reflect the requirements of the LNRS within the preparation of a new Local Plan.

The draft Strategy was supported by a series of technical annexes (Annexes A–E), which provided the underlying evidence base, mapping and methodological detail that informed the preparation of the Strategy.

The Strategy was scrutinised by the Improving Places Select Commission who advised that the recommendations be support. They made an additional recommendation in relation to additional habitat banks which was accepted by Cabinet.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the pre-consultation draft of the South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, including the proposed governance and consultation arrangements led by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

2.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Regeneration and Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Waste Services, Leisure and Green Spaces, to:

a.    agree and submit the Council’s final consultation response to SYMCA on the draft South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, as set out in paragraph 3.1.

b.    Endorse  the final version of the South Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy in autumn 2026, following the public consultation process and prior to final sign-off by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

3.    Agree that, as part of the Council’s wider work on biodiversity net gain, it be requested that the Service give consideration to prioritising the development of additional habitat banks within the Borough, to ensure that these are established in advance of any large-scale infrastructure projects which could create an urgent requirement to compensate for habitat loss.