Wiltshire Council confirms its conservation commitment

Wiltshire Council has published a report detailing its efforts and commitment to conserve and enhance biodiversity in the county.

This is the first time the council has published its Enhanced Biodiversity Report, which is now a requirement under Government legislation.

The report confirms that Wiltshire Council has embedded biodiversity into its key strategies. The draft Local Plan goes beyond statutory requirements by seeking 20% biodiversity net gain, double the national baseline of 10%. Biodiversity priorities are also integrated into the council’s Our Wiltshire Plan and other key documents, including the:

• Green Blue Infrastructure Strategy adopted in 2022, which continues to be implemented.
• Newly adopted Wiltshire & Swindon Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), which sets out 26 priorities and 301 actions for habitat restoration and species recovery. This is now being implemented with key stakeholders.

Other biodiversity projects securing change on the ground include:

• Transforming Roundbarrow Farm from dairy to 277 acres of chalk grassland, following the tenant farmer’s decision to move from the property/land.
• Wild About Wiltshire, which is a project that encourages rewilding and wildflower growth.
• The creation of community nut and fruit orchards and designation / enhancement of 50+ protected road verges.
• Sustained tree planting:

• • 2024/25: 68.67 ha woodland, 308 trees, 5,180 m hedgerow.
  • 2025/26 target: 65 ha woodland, 15,101 m hedgerow.

Wiltshire Council will always look for opportunities to secure funding to help support and enhance its ambitions. Major investment secured for biodiversity projects include:

• £300k from the Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund.
• £50k for community orchards.
• £132k+ through the National Landscapes which it hosts via Farming in Protected Landscapes.

Where it can, the council will also share information and guidance with the aim of empowering locals to make a difference. This includes hosting the two-day Climate and Environment Summit 2025 with Wiltshire Climate Alliance to drive collaboration on nature recovery. The council has also developed a Community Environmental Toolkit to help residents identify and enhance local biodiversity and has coordinated a successful tree warden scheme empowering parishes to care for local trees.

Cllr Paul Sample JP, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate and Waste, said: “Collating this report has given us the opportunity to reflect and take pride in the huge strides we’ve made to conserve and protect biodiversity in the county, but also to reaffirm our determination to do even more.

“We are committed to restoring nature and going beyond national targets to protect biodiversity, but it’s something we can’t do alone. We urge residents, businesses, and landowners to join us in creating a greener, healthier Wiltshire for future generations.”

At its meeting on 9 December, Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet approved the Enhanced Biodiversity Report. The full report can be found at https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk