Issue - meetings
The Nature Recovery Plan
Meeting: 16/04/2025 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 122)
122 The Nature Recovery Plan 
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Purpose
To update on the delivery of the Nature Recovery Plan
Recommendation
That Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves to:
1. Note and report and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Executive
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The purpose of the report was to update on the delivery of the Nature Recovery Plan.
Councillor Andrew Prosser, the Executive Member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery, introduced the item. Councillor Prosser explained that in 2019 the Council had declared a Climate and Ecological emergency and that these were intrinsically linked. The Nature Recovery Strategy expanded on the objectives of the Climate Change Strategy, which was a key Council priority. The Nature Recovery Strategy had been adopted in 2024, and this was the first annual progress update.
Members discussed the report, raising the following points:
- The report showed great progress against the strategy, and the coronation orchards and wildflower meadows were particularly welcome.
- For future reports it would be welcome if progress could be specifically measured against key performance indicators.
- A typographical error in the report was pointed out, as it should state ‘King Charles III’ not ‘King Charles II’.
- The use of Glyphosates herbicides was discussed. In particular, the Council’s own use and how Town and Parish Councils could be encouraged to reduce their reliance on these. The Climate Change Manager agreed with this and stated that the team was involved in the Waste Environmental Services Programme, and would be working to ensure that the new services would take into account nature standards. They also stated that they would be working with parishes to ensure that they are supported, for instance through the sharing of good practice.
- The Climate Change Manager stated that they would contact Ubico to monitor the use of Glyposates.
- The Community orchards had been extended to March. The Nature Recovery Officer explained that the 162 trees and 17 orchards had been planted in the previous financial year, and that they were working with Wild Oxfordshire to undertake community outreach with parish councils.
- Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) was discussed. The introduction of BNG was being supported by the Principal Ecologist, who was working with the planning team to increase knowledge of the requirements of this scheme. The Council would be able to charge developers a BNG monitoring fee which would allow proactive monitoring and enforcement.
- Clarity was needed on whether parish meetings were included within the definitions of parish councils within the report.
Resolved: That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the report.