Biodiversity Action

North Nibley Parish Council has a working party, co-ordinated by Councillor Roly Brown.  If you would like to get involved or for any additional information, please contact Cllr Brown directly (cllrrbrown@northnibleyparishcouncil.gov.uk).

Actions and Events:

Walk to The Knoll – Parish Councillors are going to be walking up to The Knoll on Sunday 26th January to look at the land owned by the Council (being part of the quarry and part of The Knoll itself). This is partly to familiarise ourselves with the boundaries and look at the Council’s responsibilities but it is an opportunity for anyone else who would like to join us to come along and talk about how that part of the Parish could be managed in the future – or just come along if you fancy a walk and a chat! We will be meeting at the cemetery at 10.00am that morning.

Biodiversity Day – There has been some informal talk of a Biodiversity Day in the Parish. This might involve a work party to carry out practical work (e.g. tidying up the Churchyard), talks on topics of interest and the offer from those with renewable energy installations to open their homes for interested people to learn more about what they can do with renewables at homeowner level. This is still an embryonic idea so if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on this then please let me know.

Biodiversity Mapping – The Parish Council are updating their tech (hence this new email address) which Nibley Resident, Chris Mewse, has been instrumental in organising. As part of that, Chris is developing a mapping function to record where biodiversity activities are taking place in the Parish. We also hope that this map might be something we can use for hedgehog sightings so that we can understand where they are and what we can do to help them.

Hedge Planting/Volunteering Opportunities – You will hopefully have seen emails from Julian Moss regarding opportunities to volunteer with some hedge planting that has been taking place in the Parish (and which will be mapped as above). The next date for this is this Sunday 15th December – details here:- https://www.wottonareacan.org/event-details-registration/volunteer-day-tyndale-meadows-2024-12-15-10-00 . We agreed at the first Biodiversity meeting that this email list would be an open list so if anyone else has any initiatives that need to be shared, please feel free to circulate them.

Community Meeting –  Parish Council held a community meeting on the 22nd October 2024 which was very well attended.  Brainstorm notes from this meeting can be viewed from the documents below.

About our Biodiversity Obligations:

In the Stroud District, Town and Parish Councils have a responsibility to support biodiversity conservation in their local areas. These obligations are guided by the Stroud District Council Biodiversity Policy, which aims to enhance and protect local wildlife and ecosystems.

Key obligations include:

1. Developing a Biodiversity Action Plan: Parish and Town Councils are encouraged to create their own biodiversity policies and action plans. This includes identifying local species and habitats that require protection and setting measures for their conservation.
2. Integrating Biodiversity in Planning: Councils should consider biodiversity in their planning processes, ensuring that new developments or public projects don’t harm local wildlife or ecosystems. This could include green spaces, wildlife corridors, or the use of native plant species.
3. Promoting Awareness and Engagement: Councils are expected to engage the local community in biodiversity initiatives, raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity and encouraging residents to take part in conservation efforts.
4. Monitoring and Reporting: Councils are encouraged to monitor the health of local ecosystems, reporting their findings to Stroud District Council and ensuring any threats to biodiversity are addressed promptly.
5. Collaborating with Local Groups: Working with environmental organizations, schools, and other groups to promote biodiversity conservation at the local level is key to creating a cohesive, district-wide approach.

By complying with these obligations, Town and Parish Councils contribute to Stroud District’s overall biodiversity goals and work towards a more sustainable future.