01 November 2002
Agenda 21 March 2003
21 March 2003
Agenda 18 July 2003


Minutes of November 01, 2002

Present
Doug Napier (CIP Hounslow),
Richard Barnes (LB Sutton),
Mike Waite (GLA),
Emma Banthorpe (LB Hammersmith & Fulham),
Jane Berger (LB Enfield),
Martin Boyle (LB Merton),
Terry Lyle (Environment Trust, Tower Hamlets),
Daniel Harrison (ALG),
Andrew Bedford (LB Islington),
Mandy Rudd (LWT),
Mike Brain (LB Bexley),
Liz Carlisle (Ruby Tiger Trust),
Tony Bradford (Countryside Management Service Herts & Barnet),
Charlotte Gault (UK BAP),
Jainine Meager (LB Barnet),
Alistair Hayes (LB Bromley),
Meike Weiser (LB Croyden)

Election of Chair
AH outlined the history and evolution of LBBF. Chair and Vice Chair represent LBBF on the LBP. There are also several other meetings that go on e.g. the Business Plan for LBP. There is a need for other members of LBBF to attend these meetings so that the burden can be shared.

AH is standing down as Chair, DN is willing to continue as Vice Chair. It was proposed that we have 2-3 Vice Chairs to help share the burden of meetings. AB and Mike Levett have put themselves forward for Chair. As Mike Levett not present AH agreed to speak to ML and make a decision before the next meeting. RB prepared to stand for Vice Chair. Will ratify the new Chair at the next meeting. There is still opportunity for other people to put forward for the role of Vice-chair.

London Biological Record Centre
Mandy Rudd -This is something that has come out of the London BAP and has been funded by English Nature. The contract was awarded to the Somerset Records Centre. They have audited the current work and produced a development plan. Recommended that LWT's Recording Project be built into a Records Centre by 2006.

There has been consultation on the development plan but of 250 only had 40 responses. Feedback though has been very positive. Produced new document outlining proposed SLA to Local Authorities. Request that people feed back to MR their comments.
There followed a discussion some of the main points of which were:

• Will need a high level of input and output from local authorities.
• Lot of work to be done to gather comprehensive data.
• Some LEU information where Boroughs have paid for it to be computerised is going onto the system.
• Finding problems getting all recorders for LNHS to provide data to the Centre.
• Looking to work with LNHS County Recorders to get involved in the validation process. Data does distinguish between validated and unvalidated data.
• Will have about 100,00 records, at the moment only LWT data going in.
• Organisations that want regular access will have to pay. Data would be free to members of the public.
• Confidentiality of data is part of the exchange agreement with data provider.
• Looking at grants to help fund the Centre.
• SLA would be £4,500 per annum; each would be tailored to suit each local authority.
• Could be a facility to provide info to Borough about who is asking for data.
• Would need 10 or more to sign up to make it viable.
• GLA will only pay for their own service requirements.

Funding Sources - Liz Carlisle (Ruby Tiger)
Ruby Tiger is a consultancy that does Business development and fundraising for environment and heritage. A number of handouts on different funding sources were circulated and the main ones outlined:
Aggregates Levy: Works like the Landfill tax, with preference given to areas affected by past or present aggregate extraction. Details are available on the English Nature website of what they will and won't fund. In London the river extraction along the Thames would make a lot of Boroughs eligible. There is a large amount of money and they are looking for projects for this year.
Bridge House Trust Fund: Grant from the Corporation of London, details on website, bridgehousegrants.org.uk.
Priority given to areas of deprivation.
Like to make big grants for nature conservation.
Funds being targeted at charitable trust so need a partner.
Esme Fairburn Trust: Details available on website, Esmefairburn.org.uk.
Have a small grant scheme of up to £5k, very easy and like to whole fund projects.
Fund charities.
Will do major capital grants of up to £500k.

Establishing & Managing a Borough Biodiversity Partnership
Short discussion about people practical experiences of getting a Borough Partnership up and running.
Idea to train people as surveyors for BAP.
To talk about the BAP as an item on a bigger agenda.
To set clear timetables and deadlines.
Work to the strengths of your Borough, you need to have partners so recognise where you've got interested groups.

Mayors Biodiversity Strategy
Mike Waite working on Business plan at the moment, which is an implementation plan for the strategy. Consulted on SMI boundaries. Still not received feedback from lots of Boroughs. [email protected]

London Biodiversity Partnership
• William Moreno has been appointed as the new Project Officer.
• There is a plan to have an action plan leads workshop to discuss delivery of HAP's and SAP's.
• The HAP and SAP working groups are still going on. Useful to attend some of these to assist in input to Borough's own HAP's and SAP's. Details of the meetings are available on the LBP website.
• A Business Plan is being developed, next meeting 11th November. Looking at the next 10 years with the potential of 3 officers.
• Funding - Esme Fairburn grant is supporting the Project Officer. Looking at putting in other bids around individual HAP's and SAP's. e.g. the Chalk downlands.
• Lots of Boroughs are now signing up to the Memorandum of Understanding and the Supporters Pledge at quite a high level.

National BAP news - Charlotte Gault (England BAP co-ordinator)
The Biodiversity Strategy for England is now available from DEFRA and is also on their website, this is a government strategy. There will be a report on local successes in February. A new leaflet has been produced entitled natural Communities aimed at LA officers who are leading on the Community Strategies. Copies are available from RSPB and English Nature. The 2002 round of reporting is now going on.

AOB
Harrow - now finished LBA.
Croydon - ready to start the process.
Sutton - The European Babylon bid has failed, now putting a different one in.
ALG - report on effect of Climate Change in London has been produced which covers issues on Biodiversity. Available on website - UKCIP.co.uk. Consultation on Strategic Environmental Assessments has gone out to all Chief Planners.
Tower Hamlets - successful bid to EAF, had a co-ordinator in post since September. The partnership is now really taking off, having their first meeting of the Parks HAP group this month. Bexley - summary document coming out in the next month, also on the website.
Bromley - just printed 3rd year review.


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