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Project Board

Agenda & Papers

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. The new structure of the Partnership (paper attached)
3. Election of a chair
4. Project Board method of working (paper to follow)
5. Verbal progress reports from Working Groups and project officer
6. Point of principle on partner’s financial contributions.
7. Project Board Terms of Reference (paper attached)
8. Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (paper attached)
9. Partnership Supporters Pledge
10. Borough Biodiversity Action Plan guidance (paper to follow)
11. A.O.B.

The Partnership will meet as a whole at least twice annually, convened by the Chair. Decisions are made by the various Working Groups, co-ordinated by a Project Board containing representatives from the London Boroughs via the London Borough Biodiversity Forum, Greater London Authority, English Nature, Thames Water Utilities Ltd and RSPB.

The London Biodiversity Project Officer co-ordinates events involving the whole Partnership. Individual Working Group chairs and the Project Board chair are responsible for arranging and co-ordinating their respective meetings and reporting on the outcomes.

The Project Board arises from the restructuring of the Partnership that was agreed in February 2001. It is the overall co-ordinating group for 4 decision-making groups; Communications Working Group; Habitats, Species and Data Working Group; and Biodiversity Records Centre Working Group.

The working groups will provide the Project Board with a summary of their key decisions, in advance. The Management Working Group will also raise strategic issues requiring discussion.

The Project Board contains the chairs of the working groups and other members of the Partnership.

1. Provide the overall steer for the Partnership’s activities.
2. Co-ordinate the Partnership’s strategically important activities by identifying any conflicts between key decisions made by the working groups, and providing solutions where possible.
3. Discuss strategic issues raised by the Management Working Group and work towards solutions if necessary.
4. Provide a voice for the chairs of the working groups and other key partner organisations.

1. Aim to be representative of the wider Partnership and the constituency of biodiversity stakeholders in London.
2. Offer 2 open places, available on a first-come, first-served basis via arrangement with the chair.
3. Post an agenda for the meeting and chair’s contact details on the Partnership’s website 2 weeks in advance.
4. Welcome written questions from any party in advance. The chair is responsible for ensuring a prompt response.
5. Put minutes of the meeting and any papers on the website.

19 June 2001

between

The Association of London Government

London Boroughs

BTCV

British Waterways Ltd

English Nature

The Environment Agency

The Greater London Authority

The Lee Valley Park Authority

London Natural History Society

London Underground Ltd

London Wildlife Trust

The Natural History Museum

The Royal Parks

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Thames Estuary Partnership

Thames Water Utilities Ltd

University College London, and

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

Between: The Association of London Government, BTCV, British Waterways Ltd, English Nature, The Environment Agency, The Greater London Authority, The Lee Valley Park Authority, London Natural History Society, London Underground Ltd, London Wildlife Trust, The Natural History Museum, The Royal Parks, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Thames, Estuary Partnership, Thames Water Utilities Ltd, University College London, and The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

The Partnership was established to conserve the capital’s wildlife and natural places for future generations to benefit from and enjoy. However, despite considerable success to date, the London Biodiversity Partnership must operate more effectively if the full potential of biodiversity action planning is to be realised.

This Memorandum aims to make the delivery of biodiversity conservation in London more effective. It acknowledges the importance to the quality of life of Londoners, of working together through the London Biodiversity Partnership towards the implementation of the London Biodiversity Action Plan.

The London Biodiversity Partnership was established in 1996 with the launch of the introductory document Capital Assets. The employment of a Project Officer from 1999 enabled significant progress to be made. Volume 1 of the London Biodiversity Action Plan ‘The London Biodiversity Audit’, was published with the prospectus ‘Our Green Capital’ in 2000 – and Volume 2, ‘The Action’ was published in 2001. The Partnership is funded via a grant from the Bridge House Estates Trust Fund until January 2002.

Through the London Biodiversity Action Plan process, the parties will work together to deliver targeted action for London’s priority habitats, species and key generic issues.

The parties will work towards the Aim and Terms of Reference of the Partnership as laid out in the Annex. For work related to the Action Plan, the parties will promote the Partnership in addition to their own achievements for biodiversity.

The Partnership recognises that the employment of dedicated staff is essential to making the Partnership work more effectively, and to build and develop the Partnership by attracting a more representative cross-section of members. The Partnership will endeavour to have independent dedicated staff. The Partnership will endeavour to broaden its representation.

There will be a budget of £35,000 in 2001-2002 and the Partnership will endeavour to at least maintain the value of the budget in subsequent years.

The Project Board and dedicated Partnership staff will be the main co-ordinating forces of the Partnership, though decisions will be focused at the working group level. Representation from the London boroughs will be provided at all levels through the London Borough Biodiversity Forum. There will be biannual open meetings for the wider Partnership and places will be available to anyone, by appointment, at every Partnership meeting. The Partnership will maintain a chair to act as a figurehead, spokesperson and lead. The Structure and function of the Partnership is described in the Annex.

This agreement may be varied by agreement between the parties.

The parties accord with this Memorandum and agree with the London Biodiversity Partnership’s Structure, Function, Aim and Terms of Reference as laid out in the Annex.

The Partnership will meet as a whole at least twice annually, convened by the Chair. Decisions are made by the various Working Groups, co-ordinated by a Project Board containing representatives from the London Boroughs via the London Borough Biodiversity Forum, Greater London Authority, English Nature, Thames Water Utilities Ltd and RSPB.

The London Biodiversity Project Officer co-ordinates events involving the whole Partnership. Individual Working Group chairs and the Project Board chair are responsible for arranging and co-ordinating their respective meetings and reporting on the outcomes.

The UK was one of 150 countries that signed the Convention on Biological Diversity at the ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan, produced in 1994 in response to the Rio commitment, highlighted the important need for action at a local level as a means of implementing national targets and aspirations, and set up the UK Biodiversity Steering Group. The UK Steering Group’s report was published in 1995 and contained a number of targets and proposals for the conservation of biodiversity in the UK. It identified Local Biodiversity Action Plans as the best way forward for the conservation of biodiversity at all levels and the implementation of national targets

To conserve the capital’s wildlife and natural places for future generations to benefit from and enjoy.

1. To establish an effective, participatory and representative partnership to produce and implement the London Biodiversity Action Plan. The Partnership will promote any action necessary to achieve this, including the securing of funds and the employment of staff.
2. To encourage and support borough and corporate Biodiversity Action Plans by providing guidance, advice and a strategic framework.
3. To maintain an audit of London’s priority species and habitats, to inform priority setting at London-wide and local levels.
4. To ensure that a London Biodiversity Action Plan is published and implemented, covering all priority habitats and species and incorporating a mechanism for monitoring and review. The Action Plan will identify and guide action needed for London’s priority habitats, species and generic issues, as well as those identified in the UK Action Plan.
5. To promote public awareness and interest in London’s biodiversity through the Action Plan, in order to increase the involvement people’s involvement in conservation.
6. To act as a forum for the sharing of expertise and information connected to biodiversity action planning.