The Environment Act 2021 introduced a strengthened ‘Biodiversity Duty’, meaning that all public authorities (including local authorities) must:
- consider what they can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity
- agree policies and specific objectives based on their consideration
- act to deliver their policies and achieve their objectives
Local Authorities must publish a Biodiversity Report, which documents the policies and actions carried out to comply with the biodiversity duty. The first version of the report must cover the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025.
You can read a summary of our first Biodiversity Report on this webpage, or download the full version of the report as a PDF.
Since 2021, we have been striving to manage more of the council's estate for nature. We have planted over 17,000 trees in our parks and green spaces as part of our successful commitment to plant 100,000 trees, and we are managing 42 ha of long grass and meadows to benefit nature.
Our Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Pathfinder Project is using funding received through the sale of Biodiversity Units to fund nature recovery at the new Charlcombe Community Nature Reserve, and at Purlewent Village Green.
Communities have been playing an even greater role in helping us manage land for nature, with several other sites being wholly or partly managed by 'friends of' groups or volunteers. For example, Lyncombe Hill Fields is a council-owned site now managed by the Friends of Lyncombe Hill Fields, a newly formed not-for-profit.
Some of our most impactful action for nature has been through our place-based 'Strategic Green Infrastructure Projects', which have largely been funded through securing external grants and have had partnership working at their heart.
The Bathscape Landscape Partnership has provided management advice for 200 hectares of woodland and 90 grasslands, as well as creating 17 new flower-rich meadows. It has also engaged thousands of residents of and visitors to Bath with their local environment. The Bathscape podcast, Footprints, was even nominated for Best Local Show at the 2023 and 2024 Audio and Radio Industry Awards!
The Somer Valley Rediscovered project has improved 34 hectares of green space across in Midsomer Norton for nature and people; and has engaged thousands of local people with nature through events such as forest bathing and nature walks. And our flagship urban green infrastructure project, the Bath River Line, is a £1.6m investment to create a 10km linear park following the River Avon through Bath.
Partnership working is a crucial part of how we are delivering nature recovery and has delivered massive achievements for nature over the past five years.
Increasing tree and woodland cover across B&NES is one of our priorities. To help achieve this, we co-led a successful bid for the Western Forest to be chosen as England's second National Forest, with £7.5 million of funding for more trees and woodland across the West of England, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. We also supported Avon Needs Trees and the Forest of Avon Trust in securing two huge opportunities for woodland creation in B&NES: The 40-hectare Great Avon Wood, and the 171-hectare Lower Chew Forest.
We transferred 24 hectares of council land at Bathampton Meadows to the National Trust in 2022 to safeguard the site for nature and people. Together with adjacent farmland acquired by the National Trust, the site will form a nature-rich green corridor running along the River Avon from the centre of Bath.
Partnership working has also helped create a farmer cluster in B&NES, empowered local communities to manage spaces for nature, and developed priority programmes for investment in nature. We continue to be a funding and active member of partnerships including the West of England Nature Partnership (WENP), the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership (BACP), and the Natural History Consortium (NHC).
In 2024, we and other civic partners set up the Future Ambition Board, which includes 'A Greener Economy' working group. In November 2025, we hosted the first B&NES Climate and Nature Network Forum to bring together partners, businesses and organisations across the district.
We also recognised the need to embed nature recovery throughout the whole of our organisation and operations, which is being assisted by the use of our Doughnut Decision Tool. For example, in 2021 we took the decision to stop the routine use of glyphosate on our streets and pavements; and transport and infrastructure projects being delivered by the council are delivering 20% Biodiversity Net Gain.
Our early adoption of a BNG policy has meant that major developments in the district have been required to deliver net gains for biodiversity since 2023, over a year ahead of national requirements. We have also developed new Green Infrastructure (GI) Standards to make sure new development creates healthy places to live that are climate resilient and support nature recovery.
Moving forwards
In the next five years, we want to build on these achievements and accelerate action for nature. We will continue to embed nature recovery across the organisation, with one of our key ambitions being to manage 30% of our estate for nature by 2030.
The policies and site requirements in our updated Local Plan, which we are in the process of producing, will be critical to our ambitions for nature recovery.
We will continue working in partnership to convene and facilitate nature recovery. One of the key challenges in the next five years will be identifying, funding and delivering high-impact projects that deliver nature recovery and climate resilience. The Connecting Catchments Project, which we are co-funding with Wessex Water and Bristol Water, will seek to do this in the Chew, Cam and Wellow catchments.
More detail on our future plans for nature recovery will be set out in our forthcoming Climate and Nature Strategy.