Local government performance framework
NI 197 - Improved Local Biodiversity – proportion of Local Sites where active conservation management is being achieved
Securing a healthy, resilient, productive and diverse natural environment is a key Defra priority. This is enshrined in the Government’s Natural Environment Public Service Agreement (PSA) to “Secure a healthy natural environment for today and the future”. The Government wants to see biodiversity valued, safeguarded and enhanced. Biodiversity benefits are highly dependent on local action because biodiversity is ultimately lost or conserved at the local level. Therefore Local Authorities (LAs) have a key role to play in conserving biodiversity.
The challenge for biodiversity is that it does not respect boundaries, and it is often difficult to attribute specific outcomes to one organisation or activity; this means that it does not fit easily within the criteria set for indicators.
As a result of discussions and workshops with stakeholders including Natural England, the Local Government Association (LGA), Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE), Government Office, Local Record Centres, Biodiversity Partnerships, Wildlife Trusts and LAs, and feed back from two public consultations, an indicator on Local Sites (LS) has emerged as the preferred option as a proxy for a local authority biodiversity indicator.
The Defra consultation during summer 2007 asked for views on the indicator to assess the proportion of Local Sites where positive biodiversity outcome is delivered. We asked for views on the use of a representative sample (e.g. - a minimum of 10 or 10% (whichever is the greater), definition of a positive biodiversity outcome (e.g contribution to a biodiversity target as specified within the Local BAP), inclusion of all Local Sites within an administrative area and other issues to take account of in any pilot of the indicator.
Following feedback from Defra’s and CLG’s (December 2007) consultations, CLG and the Audit Commission the indicator has been refined further as follows:
- To simplify the indicator, reference to Local BAP has been omitted as Local Sites by their nature deliver biodiversity outcomes and contribute to BAP targets.
- Evidence of positive (rather than active) conservation management is being or has been undertaken is required and will be used as a proxy for positive biodiversity outcome.
- Sampling will not be employed - all Local Sites in each Local Authority will be assessed and not those just owned by Local Authorities.
- The indicator will assess the proportion (%) of the total number of Local Sites under positive conservation management.
- Good performance, taking into account the variation in number of local sites in each Local Authority area, will be indicated by a year on year increase.
Reporting deadline for Local Authorities
The 2009 reporting round deadline for local authorities to report against this indicator on the CLG Data Interchange Hub is 30 June 2009.
National Indicator 197 Seminar – 15 October 2008
Defra hosted a seminar on NI197 at the Innovation Centre on 15 October 2008 attended by almost 100 people, including representatives from local authorities, Natural England and the Wildlife Trusts.
Presentations were given by:
- David Knight from Natural England “NI197 - an indicator worth having?” (PDF 270 KB)
- Jonathan Larwood from Natural England “Geodiversity and NI197” (PDF 640 KB)
- Amanda Pearce from Natural England on “The Who, What and Where Guide to Evidence for NI197” (PDF 550 KB)
- Sarah Jennings from Devon County Council on “NI197 in Devon - a LA perspective to date” (PDF 150 KB)
- Mark Jones from Natural England on “NI197 and Agri-Environment Schemes in the South West Region” (PDF 1.3 MB)
Further information
- Revised guidance on the local biodiversity indicator (NI 197) – Dec 08 (PDF 633 KB)
- Guidance on developing baseline data to inform target setting (PDF 25 KB)
- Good practice information from local authority survey (Feb 09) (PDF
- Further information on Local Sites
- Further information on biodiversity
Page last modified: 17 February 2009