Carmarthenshire County Position statement on Biodiversity

The Carmarthenshire County Council’s (CCC) has adopted a ‘position statement’ on biodiversity that sets out the position on its role, responsibilities and duties in the consideration of biodiversity as a cross-cutting theme across all aspects of CCC work and all Departments.

It also identifies how the Council can make a positive contribution to the conservation and enhancement of our natural environment and the benefits it provides us. It will act as a source document on biodiversity for all departments and was passed at a full meeting of the council with only one abstention.

It recognises the council’s responsibility to conserve and enhance biodiversity and that biodiversity conservation is an essential component of the vision for Carmarthenshire in the future, as evidenced within the Integrated Community Strategy for Carmarthenshire 2011–16.

In order to meet its biodiversity obligations and legal requirements CCC aims to ensure that biodiversity conservation is integrated via every department into all relevant plans and policies and that full regard is paid to biodiversity when considering CCC departments’ working practices.

With this in mind a simple biodiversity checklist has been produced for use by CCC officers when they undertake any work/project that may impact on the environment. This will trigger a consultation with the Conservation section. It is the aim that each department will be visited by the Conservation section during 2012 to discuss our biodiversity duty and see what if any training is required for officers.