Issue - meetings

Executive Summary

This is the Council’s first Biodiversity Duty report, which relates to the statutory duty first introduced by Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act in 2006, that was further strengthened by the Environment Act 2021 (Sections 102 and 103).

The duty requires all public authorities in England to actively conserve and enhance biodiversity when exercising their functions and, legally requires them to publish a Biodiversity Duty report to provide the specific information to evidence how the duty has been met.

As North Norfolk District Council’s first consideration of the Biodiversity Duty, the report covers the following required matters:

• Section 1 sets out the Council’s approach to conserving and enhancing biodiversity within the reporting period, January 2022 – December 2025 in relation to its strategies, policies, objectives, and actions for biodiversity.
• Section 2 reflects on the projects and actions that will continue to deliver direct and indirect biodiversity enhancements during the next three-year reporting period, January 2026 – December 2028.
• Section 3 details the Council’s actions to meet biodiversity net gain obligations. These include evidence of the biodiversity net gains resulting from biodiversity gain plans that have been approved between February 2024 - December 2025.
• Section 4 considers the monitoring tools that have and will continue to be utilised in order to track

and report on the Council’s relevant priorities, strategies and policies for the next reporting period (2026-2028).

To meet the statutory requirements, the Council’s Biodiversity Duty report must be published within 12 weeks of the reporting period’s end. With a reporting period ending 31 December 2025, the Council’s publication deadline is 25 March 2026.

Appendix A – The Biodiversity Duty Report (2022-2025)

Options considered

As a legal requirement, no other options have been considered.

Consultation(s)

The Biodiversity Duty report has been informed by internal consultation with a number of different services within the Council that contribute directly and indirectly to conserve and enhance biodiversity.

Recommendations

That Cabinet:

1)    Endorse the publication of the Biodiversity Duty report by no later than 25 March 2026 in order to comply with the statutory requirements of the Environment Act 2021.

2)    Agree the subsequent reporting period for the next Biodiversity Duty report to be from 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2028.

3)    Delegates authority to the Assistant Director for Planning to make any further necessary amendments, as required.

Reasons for recommendations

A legal requirement for public authorities to publish their first Biodiversity Duty Report by no later than 26 March 2026.

Background papers

NNDC Corporate Plan (2023 to 2027)

Environmental Charter (November 2025)

Decarbonisation Strategy (2025 – 2028)

Decarbonisation Action Plan (June 25 – March 27)

North Norfolk Local Plan 2024 – 2040 (December 2025)

Wards affected

All

Cabinet member(s)

Cllr Andrew Brown

Contact Officer

Ben Jervis, Senior Landscape Officer

Ben.jervis@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Caroline Dodden, Senior Planning Officer

Caroline.dodden@north-norfolk.gov.uk