Developing a new Cambridge City Council Biodiversity Strategy – Consultation

The City Council are developing a new Biodiversity Strategy in response to the declared biodiversity emergency and new initiatives such as the recently launched Cambridge Nature Network.

The strategy will build upon the work already delivered through our current Nature Conservation Strategy, seeking to:

1. Secure a measurable net gain in biodiversity across the City by 2025 and support the Natural Cambridgeshire Doubling Nature Vision by 2030
2. Ensure designated sites and priority habitats are in good / favourable condition and connected, where possible, to increase resilience to a changing climate and contribute to the Cambridge Nature Network
3. Promote awareness of biodiversity and wellbeing, supporting coordinated action in our communities, businesses, and institutions
4. Ensure that biodiversity is considered by all council service functions and projects
5. Maximise the potential of our buildings, parks, open spaces, watercourses and tree stock to support biodiversity, whilst balancing their multifunctional needs
6. Harness the wealth of local professional and amateur knowledge and experience in identifying and solving local issues.
7. Establish long term, species and habitat surveys and monitoring to measure the impact of activities and identify new threats and opportunities across the city

You are encouraged to read the draft strategy and provide comments on the proposed themes and projects. The council is particularly keen to learn if there is anything you think they missed or potential opportunities for collaboration.

To provide a baseline for the council to demonstrate measurable biodiversity net gain on our key wildlife sites they have undertaken a habitat audit, the recommendation of which have helped shaped some of the proposed projects. If supported these surveys can be repeated in 5 years’ time to see if we our achieving our targets.

Deadline for Comments is the 17^th October 2021.

Following consultation the city council will revise the draft strategy and produce a SMART action plan to ensure actions are programmed and resourced. These final strategy documents will return to the Environment and Community Scrutiny Committee for approval in January 2022.

Please follow this link  to the consultation and supporting documents: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/consultations/biodiversity-strategy-consultation