Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership

1. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • Natural Environment White Paper (2011): • Local Nature Partnerships (50 in England) • Nature Improvement Areas (12 in England) • Catchment-based Approach (Tame,Anker, Mease) • England Biodiversity Strategy (2011): • Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services • PLUS • National Planning Policy Framework (2012): • Replaces all PPGs / PPSs • Section 11 deals with conserving / enhancing the natural environment • Paras. 109 – 125, 117 mentions NIAs, 165 directs “Working with LNPs where appropriate...” in relation to using a proportionate evidence base

2. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • DEFRA’S AMBITION FOR LNPs: • a key Natural Environment White Paper commitment - one of clear messages from consultation was that there was a need for local areas to work in a joined up and strategic way to help manage the natural environment to produce multiple benefits for people, the economy and the environment. • echoed conclusions of the independent UK National Ecosystem Assessment, which emphasises the need for an integrated, landscape-scale approach to managing the natural environment. • NEWP says that effective local partnerships focus on different aspects of the natural environment and wildlife already exist but there is a need to encourage these partnerships to join-up and integrate action to achieve multiple benefits, eg. water and air quality, wildlife, climate change adaptation, the provision of green networks and our health and well-being.

3. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • DEFRA’S AMBITION FOR LNPs: • “…is that they will help their local area to manage the natural environment as a system and to embed its value in local decisions for the benefit of nature, people and the economy. To do this effectively they will need to be self-sustaining strategic partnerships of a broad range of local organisations, businesses and people with the credibility to work with, and influence, other local strategic decision makers.”

4. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership LNPs in England – about 50 LNPs in West Midlands – 6

5. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership Vision: “To represent and champion the essential role of the natural environment in achieving a vibrant, healthy and prosperous Birmingham and Black Country to the benefit of economy and society, with a restored and improved natural environment that is valued and managed as a sustainable and integrated system underpinning the health and well-being of nature, people and the economy.”

6. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership Purpose: “To be a driver for positive change by making visible and championing the unique qualities and functions of the B&BC natural environment in terms of its ecological, cultural, aesthetic, economic and health values inherent in the delivery of ecosystem services, working to the Government’s national environmental objectives, international requirements and local objectives. By working with stakeholders to establish a partnership of partnerships at a strategic level, the LNP will influence policy, decision making and actions to ensure, integrated, long-term sustainable and resilient benefits, adaptation to climate change, ecosystem services and environmental gains for nature, people and the economy. To work closely with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and Health and Wellbeing Boards to support the delivery of the Birmingham & Black Country Nature Improvement Area (B&BC NIA) aspirations, contributing locally to the Government’s national environmental objectives.”

7. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership Structure of LNP Board: Natural Environment 4 Local Govt. 2 Agencies 4 Business / LEPs 3 Health & Well-being 2 Education 1 Vol Sector 1

8. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • Role of the LNP Board: • a single voice for the natural environment at a strategic level, representing the sub-region’s perspective to national and local decision makers • provide the overarching framework for achieving consensus amongst its constituent member partnerships and organizations, integrating their aims and objectives on a broad range of issues that impact upon the environment (natural, built and historic) • seek to integrate the needs of regeneration, and the natural environment and help facilitate greater synergy between them and other environmental interests • act as champions for the natural environment within their own constituencies • provide strategic support for the B&BC Nature Improvement Area and its delivery programme for sustainable long term landscape-scale environmental gains and benefits for nature and people

9. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • Role of the LNP Board: • facilitate an annual conference in conjunction with partners to celebrate recent achievements and to raise awareness of the importance of the natural environment to people, the economy and quality of life. • lead discussions and develop dialogue and collaborative working relationships with Local Enterprise Partnerships, Health & Well-being Partnerships, Local Authorities and Government Agencies to ensure that the natural environment is managed to produce multiple benefits for people, the economy and the environment • support environmental gains and improvements to local biodiversity and geodiversity through the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework, the Black Country Core Strategy and Environment Infrastructure Guidance, Black Country as Urban Park initiative, UNESCO endorsed Black Country Geopark, the Birmingham Development Plan, the Green Living Spaces Plan and Carbon Roadmap, delivery of the Water Framework Directive and other strategic initiatives. • contribute to environmental, economic and Health & Wellbeing strategies and initiatives, and respond to consultations as deemed appropriate.

10. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • Work Area Priorities and Progress in 2013: • Sustain and develop the LNP • Chairman: John Box Vice-chair: Prof. Richard Coles, elected by the Board at the inaugural meeting in December 2012 • 5 Board meetings, the last being the AGM at which the Chairman and Vice-chair re-elected to serve for 2014 • Secretariat service supported by the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country • Prepared a Draft Action Plan to guide the work of the LNP • Secured representation on the Birmingham Green Commission • Continued representation on the Black Country Environment Forum • Updated component partnerships of LNP progress • Contributed to DEFRA’s research and evaluation project on the development of LNPs, being one of the Case Studies

11. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • Work Area Priorities and Progress in 2013: • Strategic, sustainable, long-term, landscape-scale actions and improvements for nature and people • Endorsed and expressed support for the application for European Geopark status to UNESCO for the Black Country • Championed the Birmingham & Black Country Nature Improvement Area and the work of the 50+ partners in delivering significant improvements to the natural environment, on-budget and of the 12 NIAs is the fourth highest in terms of securing added value (£1 levering £5.50) , 36 projects have been funded / undertaken since April 2012, with 18 new wild flower meadows created in 2013 • EcoRecord, the Biological Records Centre for Birmingham & the Black Country, continued to play a critical role in the provision of evidence about the area’s natural environment, leading on the publication this year of the Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country, and the development of the Freshwater Invertebrate Network using volunteers to monitor the water quality of watercourses

12. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • Work Area Priorities and Progress in 2013: • Strategic, sustainable, long-term, landscape-scale actions and improvements for nature and people • Tame Catchment-based Approach – the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country is the co-host (along with Severn Trent Water as main Catchment Host) of the Birmingham and Black Country section of the catchment and a Final Draft Catchment Management Plan has been prepared • Submitted responses to 4 consultations under the Duty to Co-operate requirement of the Localism Act, three draft planning document consultations, two for Walsall Council and one for Wolverhampton City Council, plus a response to the Draft Environmental Statement published by HS2 • Acted in an oversight role for the component partnerships of the Local Nature Partnership

13. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • Work Area Priorities and Progress in 2013: • Attract investment to ensure that economic growth and regeneration and our natural assets sustain each other • Taken opportunities to input to the Strategic Economic Plans of both the Greater B’ham and Solihull and also Black Country LEPs • Responded to the Black Country LEP EU Structural and Investment Funds Draft Strategy • Inputted to a joint investment offer from West Midlands LNPs to West Midlands Local Enterprise Partnerships for projects to support and benefit the natural environment across the region using EU Strategic Investment Funds - the woodland economy and demand and supply chains, natural assets / tourism, sustainable water, agri –environment and landscape-scale conservation, and green infrastructure for quality of place, prosperity and health and well-being • Working with the Greater Birmingham and Black Country LEPs, and Birmingham City Council on the application of the LEED Toolkit and the Natural Capital City Tool

14. Birmingham and Black Country Local Nature Partnership • Work Area Priorities and Progress in 2013: • Ensure the natural environment makes a significant contribution to the health and well-being and the quality of life of our people and communities • Made a response to Birmingham City Council’s Service Review Consultation under the Duty to Co-operate requirement of the Localism Act • Undertook a Health and Well-being Project to carry out basic engagement, add to key contacts, and discover progress with Health &Well-being Strategies • Ran a Nature Discovery day workshop with a health and well-being theme • Initiated work on a Performance Management Framework “Dashboard” document to describe the State of the Environment in Birmingham and the Black Country