The Environment Act 2021 introduced a strengthened ‘biodiversity duty’ for all public authorities operating in England. The duty requires local authorities to:
- Consider what actions they can take to conserve and enhance biodiversity
- Agree policies and specific objectives based on those considerations
- Act to deliver those policies and achieve their objectives
Local authorities are required to publish periodic biodiversity reports to demonstrate how they are complying with this duty. For Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), the report must also include information on the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The statutory deadline for publication of the first report was 26 March 2026.
The following Biodiversity Duty Report outlines the actions taken by Warwick District Council during the first reporting period (1 January 2024 - 1 January 2026) and sets out our plans for the next five-year period (2026 - 2031).