A new biodiversity action plan for 2024 to 2029 has been approved by the Bracknell Forest Council’s executive. The plan outlines key actions to protect and enhance biodiversity across the borough.
The plan was developed with the Bracknell Forest Nature Partnership and other key stakeholders. It was open to public consultation for four weeks.
Following valuable feedback from residents and local organisations, several important changes were made to the plan, including:
- a new objective to ‘encourage access to nature while protecting sensitive habitats and wildlife’
- stronger targets for managing invasive species
- new goals for enhancing wildflower verges and community orchards
The plan has 68 targets across six habitat themes. The themes and some of the targets within them, are:
- grasslands – to protect and enhance grassland habitats, supporting species like the harvest mouse and bumblebees
- woodlands – to increase woodland connectivity and remove invasive species while planting hedgerows and creating community orchards
- rivers and wetlands – to monitor outfalls, create ponds and enhance rivers to support species like the kingfisher and great crested newt
- heathland – to survey sites, enhance habitats and raise awareness of heathland management
- farmland – to install and monitor new barn owl boxes and share information with landowners and the public
- urban – to plant trees and improve verge management, enhancing community spaces and raise awareness of biodiversity
Cllr Guy Gillbe, executive member for planning, transport and countryside, said:
“The approval of the biodiversity action plan reflects our commitment to protecting and enhancing our borough’s natural beauty.
“This plan, shaped by residents and organisations, will have a lasting positive impact on our environment. We are particularly excited about the role our community will play through volunteering, as well as the introduction of new community orchards.”
There will now be more work to finalise the plan, update the webpage and share with stakeholders.
Read more about wildlife and biodiversity in Bracknell Forest.
