Biodiversity

Conservation of biodiversity is vital in our response to climate change and in the delivery of key ecosystem services such as food, flood management, pollination and provision of clean air and water.

We have a duty, as do all local councils, under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006, to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity in exercising all of their functions. This includes developing and influencing local policies and strategies; planning and development control; managing its estate; procurement; education, awareness raising and advisory functions.

Conserving biodiversity includes protecting, restoring and enhancing species populations and habitats.  The most important sites for biodiversity are protected by international, national or local designations. Particularly rare or threatened species are protected by law. 

Durham Biodiversity Partnership

We are a member of the Durham Biodiversity Partnership. The partnership was established 1996 and is made up of a wide range of organisations and individuals committed to conserving and enhancing biodiversity. The partnership covers the administrative areas of County Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Darlington.

Habitat mapping and biodiversity net gain

Defining strategic significance in County Durham

Strategic significance is the consideration of how a specific parcel of habitat sits within its landscape context. It is a landscape scale approach to ensure that biodiversity net gain is incentivised so that the right habitat is located in the right place within the landscape.

Ultimately the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) mapping will determine strategic significance, however this mapping is still in development and an interim approach is required before publication of the LNRS.

The Statutory Biodiversity Metric User Guide  states that where there is no published LNRS, documents highlighted by the planning authority should be used to determine strategic significance within the metric.

Durham County Council has decided that its interim approach to strategic significance in the County should primarily be based on our current spatial habitat network mapping.

Our habitat network map is based on a number of existing national data layers, with partner and specialist input to further enhance and improve the data resource. It is broken down into 5 main habitat categories including grassland, woodland, wetland, heathland, and rivers. Buffers have been included, and are based on a focal species approach to ensure that any new habitat creation or enhancement is focussed within proximity to ensure that ecological functionality is maintained.

How to use the map

The 'layers' tab enables you to explore and tick on or off the various layers using the 'eye' button. Designated sites are also included for reference.

You can search for your desired location via the 'find location' box. You can use a postcode or nearest town to focus your search.

The 'base map gallery' allows you to change the base map according to your preference.

Habitat network map for County Durham

When using the Defra Metric

The strategic significance drop down in Defra metric includes 3 options. The following choices are relevant with respect to the use of this mapping:

• Formally identified in local strategy - if the on or offsite habitat enhancement or creation occurs within one of the habitat buffers included on the map and matches the relevant habitat type. For example, if you are creating or enhancing grassland to create a net gain, and this falls within the grassland mapping layer/buffer
• Location ecologically desirable but not in local strategy - if the on or offsite habitat enhancement or creation occurs within any one of the habitat buffers included on the map.

Please note that this is an interim approach for use when using the statutory Defra metric, and this map will be replaced with our formal LNRS mapping when it becomes available in 2025.

If you have any problems with viewing/using the map, or require any further information on our approach, please contact us.