The Northamptonshire Biodiversity Action Plan

							Why is the Northamptonshire
BAP relevant?

It just is !!!

Carl Simms
Senior Environmental Planner
Northamptonshire County Council
Where has BAP come from?

• June 1992 – Rio Convention on Biological
  Diversity

• 1994 – Launch of UK Biodiversity Action Plan

• UK Biodiversity Steering Group – priority
  habitats and species for action

• Local BAP - prioritise actions locally
• Wildlife and Countryside Act
  1981 and Habitats Directive
  1994.

  – Protect our most important
    designated sites, species and
    habitats


• Countryside and Rights of
  Way Act 2000

  – Better protection of SSSIs and
    protected species and habitats.
    Government duty to protect
    biodiversity
NERC Duty
• Natural Environment and Rural Communities
  Act 2006 - raise the profile of biodiversity

• “Every public authority must, in exercising its
  functions, have regard, so far as is consistent
  with the proper exercise of those functions, to
  the purpose of conserving biodiversity”

• Extends the CROW duty to all public bodies
Who does it apply to
• Local authorities – unitary, •   NHS Trusts
  county, district,            •   Regional assemblies
  metropolitan, parish and •       Utility companies
  town councils
                               •   Police
• Central Government
  departments                  •   Fire
• Departmental executive       •   Prisons
  agencies                     •   Museums
• Government offices           •   Schools
• Non-Ministerial              •   Higher education
  government departments           institutions
• Non-departmental public
  bodies
PPS 9 & PPS 12
            • RSS – include targets for
              restoration of priority
              habitats
            • LDF – consistent with
              local biodiversity priorities
              and objectives (the LBAP)
            • Conserve habitats
              identified in the CROW Act
• Once it has gone its gone

• Hard to get it back

• LBAP helps identify what is
  left

• Where it can be created
  and where it can be
  enhanced

• Seek advice if needed