Overarching actions from Land Action Plan
The Land Action Plan sets out 19 overarching actions needed to help achieve the vision. These are:
1.1 Champion this 'Land Action Plan: for the Climate and Nature Emergencies' and embed it in the broadest range of policies, strategies, plans, programmes, initiatives, decision making, and ongoing work across the Council and borough, not just those directly related to the environment.
1.2 Establish an ongoing dialogue between all Council teams, the climate change team and senior management on promoting the delivery of this Action Plan and the rest of the Climate Emergency Response Plan.
1.3 Identify and meet the skill gaps within the current and future workforce needed to deliver this Action Plan.
1.4 Review the Council’s approach to business case development in order to take into account whole life costs, bringing together capital outlay, maintenance and carbon accounting.
1.5 Procurement of products and services must seek to minimise greenhouse gas emissions, store residual emissions (e.g. in timber products) and ensure they are adapted to inevitable changes in climate.
1.6 Use strategic regeneration programmes in Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford, and Chester to act as exemplars, showcasing partnership working and community engagement to deliver multifunctional green infrastructure, with optimised climate change services.
1.7 Work with the Local Enterprise Partnership to develop, finalise and launch a Natural Capital Audit, Investment and Implementation Plan for Cheshire and Warrington, and target strategic interventions using this.
1.8 Review the Council’s land holdings, including its farm estate, to explore the case for this land to contribute to the Council’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, as well as helping adapt to climate change and nature recovery, including the potential to introduce a biodiversity net-gain commitment on this land.
1.9 Engage with other public or public facing land holders to look at assets and how land is managed collectively to better tackle climate and nature emergencies. This could include health, defence, education, police, as well as Housing Associations, Parish and Town Councils, and large land holders.
1.10 Review the opportunity following the Local Plan Conversation to use updates to the Local Plan, if any, to strengthen existing green infrastructure, biodiversity net gain, and other policies in relation to this Action Plan; and ensure more expedient enforcement and implementation of policies.
1.11 Engage with and support the Planning Team to share best practice and support ambitious net-zero, nature recovery, and climate adapted policy making and enforcement.
1.12 Encourage Neighbourhood Plans to incorporate climate change, nature recovery, and green infrastructure policies.
1.13 Review the Council's tree replacement policy and promote the value of urban trees to justify and secure resources for urban planting, taking into account the range of ecosystem services they provide) across the borough.
1.14 Use nature based solutions to climate change where possible, in order to tackle the climate and nature emergencies together. Ensure that biodiversity is a consideration in the delivery of all actions. All interventions should also seek to: optimise other green infrastructure services through careful design and management, take into account other considerations (including landscape character, historic environment), make provisions for long term management, involve appropriate partners including local communities in decision making and delivery.
1.15 Proactively communicate with the wider community to raise awareness, encourage and support delivery of actions, and in some cases explain why the actions taken are needed.
1.16 Encourage, educate, and support communities and businesses to make better decisions and take action to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, including through volunteering and community action (e.g. through Friends of Groups, community groups, and charities, and engaging disadvantaged and underrepresented sections of society.
1.17 Collect and regularly update GIS data on urban and rural green infrastructure, including quantity, types, functions, and where it is needed for different socio-economic and environmental reasons.
1.18 Liaise nationally to ensure that GIS datasets relating to this agenda are freely or readily accessible by local authorities.
1.19 Monitor, review and report on delivery of actions and their effectiveness via the reporting mechanism of the Climate Emergency Response Plan, which provides an annual report to Council, and use this information to refine the Plan.