The Action
Volume 2 of the London Biodiversity Action Plan

Foreword & Introduction

Introduction, From Audit to Action, Linking Biodiversity Action and Partnerships, Implementation

Foreword

The publication of these Action Plans is the culmination of a process that began in 1996 with the formation of the London Biodiversity Partnership. Responding to action at the national level, the Partnership sought to initiate the new biodiversity planning agenda in London – not an easy task given the complexities of the capital city and the variety of individuals and organisations already hard at work conserving our unique assemblages of plants and animals.

The Action Plans contained in this document will no doubt increase in number as new priorities arise and opportunities occur. In time, we hope to produce plans for all of London's main habitats, including woodlands, wetlands, meadows and heaths as well as the more urban habitats such as railside and canals. We have a challenging task ahead of us to retain and enhance all these habitats which are vital elements in Londoners’ quality of life.

At first glance, the choice of species may seem odd, yet few could have predicted the sudden demise of the house sparrow, whose numbers dropped in Kensington Gardens from over 2,600 in 1925 to just a handful in 2000. But London's ecology is full of surprises and in recent years we have discovered new strongholds for species like stag beetle and water vole. The importance of London for black redstarts has long been recognised, yet this Action Plan is among the first detailed proposals for their continued conservation.

The key to these Action Plans is their implementation. We have been fortunate in gaining the support of a range of partners who have committed themselves to undertake much of this action. Yet more support is needed and the Partnership is hoping to broaden its appeal. We would like to include greater representation from sectors of society who have not previously been closely involved with biodiversity conservation, such as the business community and those concerned with London’s regeneration. The Greater London Authority also has a crucial role to play, though it is important to recognise the distinction between the Partnership’s Action Plan and the Mayor’s Biodiversity Strategy. Inevitably there will be close links and successful implementation of both will depend on the effectiveness of our Partnership.

What sort of London will our children inherit in 50 or 100 years? Whilst we may not be able to counter the immediate effects of climate change, we still have the means to ensure that London remains rich in wildlife, a green and pleasant place to work and live and hopefully a place where sparrows are not confined to people’s memories.

David Goode
Chair, London Biodiversity Partnership
1 January 2001

In January 2000 the London Biodiversity Partnership published Volume 1 of the London Biodiversity Action Plan, the Audit, along with the introductory booklet ‘Our Green Capital’. The process from Audit to Action has involved a range of individuals and organisations. Each Action Plan, brought together here as Volume 2, was formed by mini-partnerships that decided common aims and objectives, targets and actions, for their habitat or species.

The publication of these Action Plans and Statements is an important milestone on a long journey. It has been a difficult process, but the work is only just beginning. Much needs to be done to forge links with new partners and involve those who are still unaware of the role they can play in conserving biodiversity. Nevertheless, these aspirational yet achievable documents give the London Biodiversity Partnership and others the focus to take action and make a real difference to people and nature in our city.

Volume 1 of the London Biodiversity Action Plan identified 20 habitat or land use types that cover the majority of land in the city where biodiversity could be enhanced. Each of these habitats merits an Action Plan, and several will be published initially as the ‘first round’. Further plans will follow in subsequent rounds and the Partnership intends all future Action Plans to be available on the Internet as the primary point of reference.

This approach targets habitat-based conservation rather than focusing on producing documents for every important species, as has been the National trend. These habitats can be promoted by ‘flagship’ species – special animals and plants that will generate interest among the public.

In general, Species Action Plans have not been written for those species covered by habitat action. However, there are exceptions, mainly where there were seen to be advantages to the profile a stand-alone plan can generate.

Several other species and topics will be covered by Statements – scene-setting documents that provide background, suggest ways forward and stimulate discussion. Some of these, such as the Private Garden Habitat Statement, are precursors of full Action Plans.

The London Biodiversity Action Plan is an important link between the UK plan and local plans – whether at a regional, borough or organisation level. It will allow London-wide organisations to focus their limited resources, but doesn't replace the need to develop local action plans where, at the borough level, much of the action will be delivered.

Local partnerships involving and often led by the borough councils must be formed to produce these plans. The partnerships have to be inclusive of local people, landowners and businesses and the process of putting partnerships and plans together has already begun. Bromley began to implement their action plan in 1999, whilst about half of the London boroughs are actively involved in local partnerships.

This process must be supported and expanded. The London Borough Biodiversity Forum of council officers has been established to promote good practice, give guidance for local plans, source funding and input to the London plan. This information should feed into the local partnerships in which councils play a part. Borough Biodiversity Action Plans should help implement the London plan where relevant, as well as reflect locally important species and habitats.

In addition to Borough Action Plans, the Partnership welcomes and supports the production of business and organisation-level Biodiversity Action Plans. In London, Thames Water produced their business action plan in 1999 and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority produced their plan in 2000.

The Mayor is producing a Biodiversity Strategy for London, the first statutory strategy of its kind in the UK, as a result of the requirements of the Greater London Authority (GLA) Act 1999. The contribution biodiversity makes to social cohesion, health improvements and economic development complements the Mayor's other strategies and the principal functions of the GLA.

A firm basis for this long-term vision for London’s natural environment will be the identification and protection of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), comprising London's more important wildlife habitats. Working in partnership with others, the strategy will help to harness resources to enable better management of London's green spaces to improve their wildlife value and ensure that their benefits are enjoyed by all. All of this will require unique integration with the other Mayoral strategies. In particular the Spatial Development Strategy will set new planning policy guidance for London boroughs – much of the implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy is likely to be through the planning system. The Biodiversity Strategy will also help to target the direct resources for regeneration and new infrastructure held by the GLA’s functional bodies.

The major partners in the Mayoral strategy are all members of the London Biodiversity Partnership and there is no doubt that the London Biodiversity Action Plan will be a major mechanism for implementing the Mayor’s strategy. After public consultation, the Strategy is likely to be published towards the end of 2001.

Each Action Plan has a Lead Partner, whose contact details can be found at the end of the plans. Their role is to co-ordinate the work of the individual partners, ensuring that implementation is recorded and monitored. The Lead Partner will produce an annual report (see below).

In addition to the overall Lead Partner, each action within the Action Plans has a lead. The role of these partners is similar to the overall Lead – and it should be pointed out that the lead will not necessarily be responsible for undertaking the action by themselves. The ‘other partners’ identified in the actions are some of the implementers, but there will be many organisations not involved in the process of putting the plans together that are needed on board.

Some of the Action Plans identify the need to set up a working group specific to that habitat or species. Other groups will no doubt follow as an extension of the mini-partnerships that formed each plan and these working groups will be a valuable way for the Lead Partner to co-ordinate implementation.

The initial membership of the working groups is indicated in the plans, but further partners will be needed.

In order to keep track of implementation, actions will be monitored by the Lead organisation for each Action Plan. These records will be compiled annually by the Lead as an annual report, which will describe progress and highlight achievements. The substance of the reports will be useful for publicity.

All Action plans will be reviewed every 3 years – the first review will take place in December 2003. These reviews will assess whether the objectives and actions are still relevant, and add new actions that may have arisen from new or existing partners. If necessary, an updated version of the plan will be produced and circulated.

Each Action Plan’s life is as long as its longest target. When this is reached, the review should assess whether the time scale of the document should be extended. It is expected that the Action Plans will have a finite life.

The Audit (Volume 1) will be reviewed at the end of 2001 and will be available on the Internet as a searchable database. As an evolving reference document comments and corrections are still needed. The on-line database is the best place to provide them, though paper comments are welcomed from those without access to the web.