Agenda item
PRESENTATIONS
To receive presentations from the following:
1) Abbie Robinson – How Volunteering Can Help to Support Biodiversity
2) MP Chris Hinchliff – Biodiversity and Chalk Streams
3) Heidi Hutton – Hertfordshire County Council Country Management Service (CMS) and Successful CMS Volunteer Projects
Decision:
Presentations were received from Abbie Robinson, MP Chris Hincliff and Heidi Hutton and Andrew Taylor on various topics related to the theme of the meeting ‘Working Together to Achieve More’.
Minutes:
Audio recording – 25 minutes 52 seconds
The Chair informed those present that the UK was one of most nature depleted countries on Earth and that in Hertfordshire specifically, 76 species had been lost in the last 50 years. However, the Chair advised that it was not too late to revive and protect nature, and that community groups, volunteers and institutions played a vital role in restoring nature and biodiversity. The Chair acknowledged that more could be done when work was carried out together, which linked to the theme of the meeting ‘Working Together to Achieve More’.
The Chair invited Abbie Robinson to give a presentation, supported by slides and images, on ‘How Volunteering Can Help to Support Biodiversity’. They thanked the Chair for the opportunity to present and advised that:
· Biodiversity was crucial for the smooth running of ecosystems across the planet, and humans relied upon it for food, medicines and resources.
· Ecosystem stability stemmed on the variety of species.
· Wildflowers were a way to introduce small, varied habitats into an urban setting.
· 97% of wildflower meadows in the UK had been lost since the 1930s.
· Wildflowers provided colour, helped to improve mental health, were a source of food for insects, and became nutrients for soil when they died off.
· Pollinators were big benefiters of wildflower planting, which was a good thing when bees, moths and butterflies were all declining due to climate change.
· Implementing a series of wildflower habitats built corridors across urban landscapes, which prevented them from becoming isolated and stabilised populations.
· Existing projects for pollinators included ‘B-Lines’ by Buglife.
· They had worked with the Council to select areas in Royston for wildflower planting, and the Council had sourced the wildflower mix, cleared and prepared those areas, planted the seeds, and continued to maintain and care for them.
· All the areas selected had succeeded except one because of parked cars.
· Lots of positive responses had been received both on social media and in person following the blooming of wildflowers in 2023, and there had been a desire for more.
· The Community had been keen to get involved, and increasing public knowledge on climate change pressures had elevated this interest.
· Volunteers were crucial as they supplied ideas and people power, and the difference in ages encouraged a positive environment.
· There was scope for volunteering of this kind in Royston, but there could always be more.
· The wildflower patches showed that collaboration could work between the Council and residents, and it was hoped that they could continue working with them, in addition to groups and communities to protect greenspaces and boost biodiversity.
The following Members asked questions:
· Councillor Joe Graziano
· Councillor Bryony May
In response to questions, Councillor Val Bryant advised that they would contact the Grounds Maintenance Manager following the meeting regarding more wildflower planting across the district.
In response to questions, Abbie Robinson advised that they had approached the Council about implementing more wildflower patches, but they would have to follow this up with the Greenspace Team.
In response to questions, Andrew Taylor advised that:
· Hertfordshire County Council Countryside Management Service had started a project with the Greenspace Team to set up a volunteer group that would monitor the wildflower areas.
· They had also been working to establish native wildflower areas, which would also be monitored.
The Chair thanked Abbie Robinson for their presentation and invited Chris Hincliff MP for North East Hertfordshire to give a verbal presentation on ‘Biodiversity and Chalk Streams’. They thanked the Chair for the opportunity to present and advised that:
· Volunteers who undertook work to protect and restore chalk streams across the North East Hertfordshire constituency were appreciated.
· The Minister for Water would be visiting the Rivel Ivel to talk to the Revival Team that had worked to reduce abstraction pressures in the chalk aquifer, which would also revive other dead chalk streams.
· England was home to 85% of chalk streams in the world, which housed a variety of biodiversity and many iconic species such as otters, water voles and rare invertebrates.
· Chalk streams had been heavily impacted by the growing demand for water, physical modification and pollutant runoff.
· Climate change presented a risk to the ecology of chalk streams as it affected their stable water temperatures that enabled egg spawning and safe habitats.
· Border management around chalk streams was essential to ensure the correct shade and vegetation.
· They had successfully got chalk streams into the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) so that future development proposals would assess and mitigate impacts where development could have unacceptable adverse impacts on water quality.
· They had supported the bill to encourage ministers to nominate chalk streams to become UNESCO World Heritage sites.
· They had also encouraged Ofwat to reject the request for creditors of Thames Water to continue polluting rivers.
· The Rivers Rib, Quinn and tributaries to the River Beane were just some of the chalk streams affected by pollution and sewage discharges.
· Work had also been undertaken with the Rivers Trust to ensure that the forthcoming Clean Water Bill delivered for chalk streams, with particular focus on headwater streams to improve the overall water quality.
The following Members and members of the public asked questions:
· Councillor Bryony May
· Sarah Perry
· Councillor Joe Graziano
· Councillor Claire Strong
In response to questions, Chris Hincliff MP advised that:
· The letter sent by the Executive Member for Place on chalk streams had been received.
· The bill to nominate chalk streams as UNESCO World Heritage sites had not been progressed past the second reading in Parliament as it had only been presented as a 10-minute bill, but they would continue to support work on this with Pippa Heylings MP.
· Chalk streams in Devon and Dorset already designated as UNSECO World Heritage sites had experienced benefits such as stronger protection and public awareness.
· The River Mimram was one of the healthiest known chalk streams.
· Chalk streams had been included in the new Draft NPPF, but this would not apply retroactively to existing developments.
· They shared concerns with Members over the new National Scheme of Delegation of
Sarah Perry thanked Chris Hinchliff MP for their work related to chalk streams and highlighted that chalks streams such as the River Hiz still provided some of the healthiest spawning grounds for Trout despite wider challenges.
The Chair thanked Chris Hincliff MP for their presentation and invited Heidi Hutton and Andrew Taylor to give a presentation, supported by slides and images, on ‘Hertfordshire County Council Countryside Management Service and Successful Volunteer Projects’. They thanked the Chair for the opportunity to present and advised that:
· CMS was operated by Hertfordshire County Council and they received funding from the district and borough councils across Hertfordshire and worked with them to produce a work programme to manage the countryside each year.
· Volunteers had contributed 37K hours to caring for greenspaces and 20K hours towards the Healthy Walks Scheme.
· They were proud to have gold volunteering accreditation.
· Training for volunteers was provided, and tasks were led by trained leaders.
· They had helped to develop greenspace action plans.
· Support for woodland management works had been supplied.
· Projects for river restoration along the River Oughton and River Purwell were close to implementation and funding for these had been secured from Affinity Water.
· Ash Dieback had impacted Weston Hills, and they had approached this in several phases, including replanting in 2022, which had been funded by the Forestry Commission.
· There were 25 Friends Groups looking after greenspaces across the district.
· Volunteers looked after 90% of the rights of way across Hertfordshire, including those in North Herts, which had 100% coverage.
· Volunteering created a sense of ownership for those involved and provided volunteers with new skills like hedge planting.
· New tree planting had been conducted at Great Ashby, as well as thinning to favour stronger trees.
· Although 97% of chalk streams in the district had been lost, they had been lucky to maintain those that had remained.
· Some measures to increase biodiversity included scrub clearance, river de-shading, planting and removing invasive species.
· Other measures such as radar kissing gates had been installed on Oughton Common.
The Chair advised that due to time constrains, no questions would be answered verbally, and that any outstanding questions should be written in the meeting chat for speakers to respond to.