Decision details

The Cabinet Member authorised the Council to share the data and mapping produced for the Derbyshire Natural Capital Strategy with:

a)       all the other local planning authorities in Derbyshire;

b)       Derbyshire Wildlife Trust; and

c)       any further bodies the Assistant Director - Climate Change and Environment may consider to be appropriate recipients.

The Council, in partnership with Derby City Council and the Peak District National Park Authority, commissioned the Natural Capital Strategy to gain a clear understanding of the amount and condition of Natural Capital Assets in Derbyshire. This information will enable informed interventions that will align with the LNRS and be delivered, in part, through off-site BNG. Sharing this data with the LPAs and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust will assist in this appropriate delivery and aligns with the priorities in the Council Plan relating to climate change and natural capital.

The sharing of the NCS data will help support the appropriate delivery of off-site BNG and also help deliver the Council commitments in its Nature Recovery Motion of 2 February 2022.

Do not offer to share the Data - The Council, as the commissioning body for the NCS, and as the largest funder of the report, need not offer to share the data from the report with other stakeholders. This is not felt appropriate as it is not in the spirit of joint working, particularly as the LPAs are specifically identified as ‘Supporting Authorities’ in the secondary legislation for the LNRS. Providing LPAs with the baseline data promptly will lessen the likelihood of divergencies in implementation of off-site BNG.  It will also minimise the chance of objection to the final form of the LNRS. For these reasons this option is not recommended.