SECTION 3.0 - Durham County Council

2.2 National Policy Context
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity commits
each contracting party to
developing
national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity
and to integrate these ambitions into relevant plans, programmes and
policies. As such, contracting parties are required to implement the 46 Articles
of
the Convention which include the promotion of public engagement, education and
awareness raising and implementing EIA of projects in order to avoid / minimise
effects to biodiversity.
•
This is the main UK legislation relating to the protection of named floral and fauna
species and the network of nationally protected wildlife areas: Sites of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI). It transposes the Bern Convention on the Conservation
of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1979) and the EU Birds Directive (1979)
into national law and has been amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act
(2000) . It provides for the notification of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
and measures for their protection and management. It sets out the legal offences
/
penalties
for killing or harming species listed in annexes.
•
Countryside & Rights of Way Act, 2000.
This Act
increased the duty for provision of public access to the
countryside and strengthened legislation relating to Sites of Special
Scientific
Interest (SSSIs). In particular, it requires Local Authorities to
furthe r the conservation and enhancement of SSSIs both in carrying
out their
operations, and in exercising their decision making functions.
• Biodiversity
- The UK Action Plan, DOE, (1994).
Page 13 4/15/2009
Link with
Open Space,
Recreation,
Leisure and
Play Technical
Paper
(No.5)
The UK
BAP was published in response to the requirements of the Convention on
Biological
Diversity signed at the Earth Summit in 1992. It has the overall goal of
conserving and enhancing biological diversity within the UK and contributing to the
conservation of global diversity through all appropriate mechanisms. It also sets
out the Government’s plans for protecting and enhancing habitats and species
of
national
conservation concern.
•
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
‘Working with the grain of nature’, A biodiversity Strategy for England,
DEFRA, (2002).
This strategy seeks to ensure that biodiversity is embedded in all areas of UK
Government
policy and sets out a programme to make the changes necessary to
conserve,
enhance and work with the grain of nature rather than against them. It
sets out
a series of actions for Government and its partners to make biodiversity a
fundamental consideration. The
strategy sets out a number of indicators for