Issue - meetings

(i)       to note that officers would add the review of the Local Nature Conservation Sites to the business planner for a future meeting;

(ii)       to note that officers would investigate how Members could be involved in the nature awareness campaign;

(iii)      to note that officers would circulate information to Members on grassland management to enable them to share information with constituents who contacted them with queries;

(iv)      to request that when new areas for grassland management were identified, that officers share information with Community Councils and wider communities;

(v)      to approve the content of the draft report;

(vi)     to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to finalise the report (minor corrections and design format) and submit it to the Scottish Government by 31 December 2023;

(vii)     to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to publish the finalised report on the Council’s website and circulate it as a Service Update to this Committee in early 2024;

(viii)    to instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to develop and lead on two projects in partnership with other public bodies in the city to:

          a) develop and monitor a suite of cross-organisation biodiversity and related data, i.e. land managed for nature, access to nature, engagement with nature, etc. to inform the Council and City’s strategic direction and required on the ground actions and investments now and in the future; b) develop, implement and monitor a public and wider stakeholder awareness and engagement campaign on the value of nature to the City, its citizens and businesses, the risks to nature locally and the need for local action, what the Council & partners are doing and what others can also do in support of nature recovery across Aberdeen; and c) report back to this Committee within 12 months with the outcomes of these projects;

(ix)      to note that at the Beautiful Scotland 2022 Awards, Aberdeen City won the prestigious Rose Bowl, based on horticulture, environmental responsibility and community participation; and to further note the recent Gold Britain in Bloom medal won by Aberdeen City Council; and

(x)     to note that officers would include the Britain in Bloom success in the report prior to submission.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which presented the draft Aberdeen City Council Biodiversity Duty Report 2023 and sought approval for submission of the report to the Scottish Government, in line with the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the content of the draft report;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to finalise the report (minor corrections and design format) and submit it to the Scottish Government by 31 December 2023;

(c)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to publish the finalised report on the Council’s website and circulate it as a Service Update to Committee in early 2024; and

(d)      instruct the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning to develop and lead on two projects in partnership with other public bodies in the city to:

          i) develop and monitor a suite of cross-organisation biodiversity and related data, i.e. land managed for nature, access to nature, engagement with nature, etc. to inform the Council and City’s strategic direction and required on the ground actions and investments now and in the future; ii) develop, implement and monitor a public and wider stakeholder awareness and engagement campaign on the value of nature to the City, its citizens and businesses, the risks to nature locally and the need for local action, what the Council and partners were doing and what others could also do in support of nature recovery across Aberdeen; and iii) report back to Committee within 12 months with the outcomes of these projects.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note that officers would add the review of the Local Nature Conservation Sites to the business planner for a future meeting;

(ii)       to note that officers would investigate how Members could be involved in the nature awareness campaign;

(iii)      to note that officers would circulate information to Members on grassland management to enable them to share information with constituents who contacted them with queries;

(iv)      to request that when new areas for grassland management were identified, that officers share information with Community Councils and wider communities;

(v)      to note that at the Beautiful Scotland 2022 Awards, Aberdeen City won the prestigious Rose Bowl, based on horticulture, environmental responsibility and community participation; and to further note the recent Gold Britain in Bloom medal won by Aberdeen City Council;

(vi)     to note that officers would include the Britain in Bloom success in the report prior to submission; and

(vii)     to approve the recommendations.