About Us

The Gloucestershire Biodiversity Partnership

The Partnership was formed in 1998, and with the commitment of over 60 organisations launched the first Biodiversity Action Plan for Gloucestershire (Local BAP or LBAP) in 2000. The delivery of the LBAP is dependent on a partnership between many organisations and individuals who can have an affect on the county's biodiversity. The greater the number of members within the partnership ensures that the local biodiversity action planning process is "owned" by all those concerned with both the rural and urban environment. Members should include farmer and landowning interests, local authorities, statutory agencies, voluntary organisations, business and industry, local communities, professional and amateur naturalists, they all help make up the wider Partnership. Any organisation or individual with an interest in or duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity can join the partnership.

Syreford Poppies

A Steering Group operates within the wider partnership and they have responsibility for the day to day running of the biodiversity action planning process. This currently consists of 28 members as well as a LBAP Co-ordinator who meet about three times a year to discuss matters referred to them by the LBAP Co-ordinator, partnership sub groups and the wider partnership. The Partnership is currently chaired by Dr Simon Pickering of Ecotricity. The Steering Group welcomes the involvement of new organisations and individuals to help it manage the LBAP and advise the wider biodiversity partnership.

Partnership members who have signed up to a Memorandum of Agreement (currently Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Natural England and Gloucestershire County Council) act as a Management Group (MG) of the Steering Group and communicate and operate between Steering Group meetings. The MG assists the LBAP Co-ordinator with their work including the management of local biodiversity action planning and administration of the partnership.

The Partnership is also made up of various subgroups who address particular issues as and when required.

Barberry Carpet Moth

Structure of the Gloucestershire Biodiversity Partnership

The Aims of Our Partnership

Establish and maintain participation in the biodiversity action planning process from all sectors and individuals including farmers and landowners, local authorities, statutory agencies, voluntary organisations, businesses and industry, local communities, professional and amateur naturalists.
Ensure the LBAP is available on the Biodiversity Action Reporting System (BARS). Ensure targets and actions include spatially explicit, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited targets (SMART). Ensure that the LBAP is monitoring and reported on using BARS.
Encourage the action plan leads and implementers to use the Biodiversity Action Plan Reporting System (BARS) to enable local and national reporting.
Identify and implement biodiversity projects necessary for achieving the action plan targets. Either by catalysing partnership projects (e.g. "No Newts is Bad Newts") or by supporting and engaging with partners projects.
Respond to national changes on priority habitats and species and new national priorities for action by incorporating changes into the LBAP.
Ensure a flexible and responsive approach to targets and actions with regard to tackling climate change.
Develop and implement a communication plan to raise awareness in support of the LBAP and to engage the wider public.
Develop and implement a funding strategy to obtain national and local sources of funding for biodiversity projects and LBAP co-ordination.
Support the biological recording necessary to monitor changes in the status of BAP habitats and species.
Support the wildlife sites partnership including the identification and designation of Key Wildlife Sites.
Support the integration of the LBAP objectives and targets into national, regional and local plans and policies by promoting best practice and providing support and advice; e.g. Local Area Agreements, Regional Spatial Strategy, Local Development Framework's, and agri-environment schemes.