Llangybi Fawr CC Biodiversity Policy
Biodiversity is in decline, and with it, the services it provides to all of us in terms of benefits for our health, economy and culture. We must all now urgently take action for biodiversity at every opportunity to reverse its decline in Wales and globally – for its intrinsic value, and to secure our own well-being.
The Environment (Wales) Act 2016 introduced an enhanced biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems duty (the section 6 or s6 duty) for public authorities in the exercise of functions in relation to Wales. The s6 duty requires that public authorities “must seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity and in so doing promote the resilience of ecosystems. This could be just helping and supporting schemes in local area / information sharing role through local newsletters, noticeboards, or events.”
In the wards of LLANHENNOCK , TREDUNNOCK, LLANGATTOCK NC, COED Y PAEN AND LLANDEGFEDD :
As a Community Council with no direct responsibility for any public land we cannot directly enhance biodiversity in these wards….. but we nevertheless would like to encourage local land owners, gardeners and farmers, our churches and village halls to do so !
Please let us know if you have any projects in mind or on-going!
DID YOU KNOW THAT:
- Good quality green space can affect how people feel- it can increase physical recreation and enable children to interact with nature
- A study shows that everyday contact with nature is beneficial for healthy ageing in older people
- By taking action to benefit wildlife, pollinators or hedgehogs, birds or bats, you can also enhance areas so that they provide higher quality green space for local people Current projects include:
- Christchurch in Coed Y Paen have bird boxes, bat boxes and a bug hotel
- St Andrews in Tredunnock have a bug hotel made by the local children
- Hedgehog houses have been created in a wooded area at Llanhennock as well as log piles to provide habitats for small mammals and insects Hedgerows and Trees: Hedgerows are vitally important as they provide food and shelter to many species, including those that need particular help such as dormice and bank voles which use hedges to move around. They are also important habitats for nesting birds. What can you do to help?
- Can you lay the hedge to improve the structure ?
- Is there an opportunity to plant/restore a hedgerow?
- Manage your hedgerow in the winter when the woody growth is dormant
- Avoid all work on hedges during bird nesting season – March to August
- Allow you hedging to grow 2/3 years in order to provide a plentiful supply of berries
- We encourage the use of bird boxes, bat boxes, hedgehog houses and bug hotels in our churchyards. In LLANGYBI ward:
Our community council does own a small piece of land in Llangybi Park play area and the allotments.
- As a community council we are committed to trying to leave grassed areas unmown in early summer in order to encourage wildlife and insects to these areas.
- We encourage the planting of shrubs and flowers which are attractive to bees and other pollinators
- We would not arrange for any hedgecutting between March and August, unless there is a danger caused to motorists by a particular overgrown section.
- We would endeavour to leave a small wood pile in areas in order that bugs, small wild animals and insects may
thrive.
Current projects include:
- A campaign for hedgehog warning signs has been successful and these red triangle roadsigns are now in place on the roads in Llangybi.
- A volunteer group has been set up by LFCC to help MCC countryside dept to clear and maintain local footpaths. The work undertaken will enhance the opportunities for residents to appreciate the wildlife in our local area. Care will be taken to ensure that natural habitats of wildlife will be protected when clearing footpaths for walkers and minimal undergrowth will be removed as necessary.
- We held a successful litter picking session, followed by afternoon tea in Llanhennock Village Hall on the Coronation Bank Holiday Monday. We plan to organise some more of these sessions in future .
- We have sent out an appeal for regular volunteer litter pickers and have litter picking kits (including high vis jackets, picker stick, bag loops ) in the telephone boxes in Llandegfedd, Llanhennock and Llangybi.
- We were happy to approve an application by a landowner in Llanhennock to create 7.44 hectares of new native woodland
- As a community council we aim to reduce paper waste ( we no longer print agendas and other documents for meetings, instead use the tv to display them; we send audit and accompanying documents electronically not by paper) .
- Updated in August 2023
If you would like to share these ideas for enhancing biodiversity in your area, please feel free to download our leaflet here. (PDF)