Biodiversity Action Plan 2015-2018 Public March 2015 Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................... 3 About Us .......................................................................................................... 3 What is biodiversity? ........................................................................................... 3 Drivers for the Biodiversity Action Plan ................................................................... 3 Focus on Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSIs) .................................................... 4 Objectives ......................................................................................................... 6 Biodiversity Achievements and Measures to Date .................................................. 7 Environmental Management System (EMS) ............................................................. 7 Partnership ....................................................................................................... 7 Operational Response at Designated Sites............................................................... 7 Waste and Recycling Sites.................................................................................... 8 Procurement ..................................................................................................... 9 Estate Management ............................................................................................ 9 New Builds and Major Refurbishments ................................................................. 10 Promotion of and education in biodiversity ............................................................ 11 Targets, Activities and On-going Commitments ................................................... 12 Appendix A – London Sites of Special Scientific Interest ...................................... 16 Introduction About Us The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) is one of the functional bodies (FBs)of the Greater London Authority (GLA) and has statutory responsibility for fire fighting and fire safety in the Greater London area. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is one of the largest fire-fighting organisations in the world, protecting people, property and the environment from fire within the 1587 square kilometres of Greater London which has a resident population of 8.2 million, increased by another 500,000 during working hours. To provide this service we manage a large estate which includes 103 fire stations largely based in densely populated urban areas. LFB has always recognised the need for responsible stewardship of its estate and has therefore endeavoured to manage its land holdings in a sympathetic and sustainable manner. We are here to make London a safer city. Our vision is to be a world class fire and rescue service for London, Londoners and visitors and we aim to be the leader on sustainable development within the UK Fire and Rescue Service,. This, our second biodiversity action plan, addresses our approach to one of those other areas of responsibility over the next 3 years. What is biodiversity? Biodiversity, short for biological diversity, is the term used to describe the variety of life found on Earth and all of the natural processes. It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. This can refer to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation (number of species) within an area and it recognises the connections between these. Drivers for the Biodiversity Action Plan The Biodiversity Duty (Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006 requires all public authorities, including LFB, to pay regard to the conservation of biodiversity in exercising their functions. Furthermore, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, state that it is an offence to carry out potentially damaging operations on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) without Natural England consent or reasonable excuse. The Mayor’s Biodiversity Strategy – Connecting with London’s Nature – has been in place since July 2002 (reviewed as current in 2015)and has provided the framework through which the capital’s natural environment is protected and enhanced. In Proposal 21 of the strategy a commitment from the mayor is noted to encourage land managers, including London borough councils and other public bodies (which includes the Brigade), to take biodiversity into account in the management of their land. This should include managing important habitats to protect and enhance their nature conservation value, providing safe access for all, involving the local community and creating new wildlife habitats where appropriate. -3 - The Government’s Natural Environment White Paper “The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature” published in 2011, recognised that a healthy natural environment is the foundation of sustained economic growth, prosperous communities and personal wellbeing. The White Paper established how the value of nature can be mainstreamed by strengthening the connections between people and the natural environment; developing new approaches to convey the economic value of the natural environment; and facilitating broader partnerships and local action. LFB is committed to Sustainable Development and environmental protection principles as set our in our Sustainable Development Strategy 2013-16 and Environment Policy. We recognise the need to both mitigate the negative impact of our activities on biodiversity and where possible enhance the level of biodiversity, where we have direct or indirect control. As biodiversity contributes to the maintenance of ecosystem functions we understand that it is therefore the source of many services and goods, which we rely on, such as food, timber, fibre and water. Biodiversity provides the environment and the natural resources essential for our organisation to operate and survive. As increasing supplies of these materials are required, greater pressure is put on ecosystems, which compromises their ability to deliver. The resulting diminishing natural supply chain will have profound effects including increasing costs, scarcity of materials, stakeholder pressure, and increased regulation. We recognise that Biodiversity protection and enhancement can offer a range of benefits for our organisation which might include: Environmental Protection and enhancement of open spaces, wildlife Protection and habitats Climate Change Alleviation of the effects of climate change through habitat creation Well-being Improved physical and social access to nature and open spaces encouraging healthy leisure pursuits Community Supporting social regeneration in host borough’s, making our engagement stations a more attractive and inviting community resource by maintaining or enhancing the biodiversity present on our premises Availability of Adoption of sustainable economic and procurement practices resources through the responsible maintenance of ecosystem functions Regulatory The Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) compliance and Regulations 2009 make polluters financially liable and require the avoidance polluters to prevent, limit or remediate damage to water of fines and systems, land quality, protected sites, species and their prosecution habitats, enforcing the ‘polluter pays’ principle Focus on Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSIs) A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is one of the country’s very best wildlife and/or geological sites. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon them. There are more than 4,100 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in England, covering around 8% of the country’s land area. More than 70% of these sites (by area) are internationally important for their wildlife and are designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar sites. -4 - Even though London is one of the largest urban areas in Europe, almost two-thirds of London is made up of greenspace and wetlands, consisting primarily of extensive areas of green belt, large parks and the Thames basin. Currently 38 sites are designated as SSSIs within London, 31 of which have been designated for their biological interest and 7 for their geological interest, including Bushy Park and Home Park in the Twickenham area, newly designated in September 2014. It is essential to preserve our remaining natural heritage for future generations. Wildlife and geological features are under pressure from development, pollution, climate change and unsustainable land management. SSSIs are important as they support plants and animals that find it more difficult to survive in the wider countryside. Protecting and managing SSSIs is a shared responsibility, and an investment for the benefit of future generations. -5 - Objectives The main objective of this Biodiversity Action Plan is to minimise any negative impacts upon biodiversity resulting from LFB’s activities. It is recognised that this is relevant in regard to; the way we manage our estate; the goods and services we procure; and the way we respond to operational incidents. To pay due regard to ecological value in the way we respond 1 to operational incidents at designated (protected) sites. To manage our estate and procurement activities in a way 2 that protects, and where possible,