TOWN councillors in Bradford on Avon are to launch a biodiversity survey during the summer to help protect local wildlife – and they want residents to get involved.

Following the town's Full Council adoption of the biodiversity policy, councillors agreed to move forward with the acceptance of a scope of work for a Biodiversity Survey at their environment and planning committee meeting.

The survey will identify the current state of nature across areas managed by the council and will inform plans to improve biodiversity as they go forward.

It will give a good general overview of the state of biodiversity in Bradford on Avon and act as a benchmark against which to monitor future progress in the parish.

It will cover areas known to be dense in native plants and wildlife, as well as those which are devoid of them, assisting with decision-making going forward.

Cllr Alex Kay, deputy mayor and chair of the council’s environment and planning committee said: “We all recognise that areas of the town are already really rich in biodiversity – and how wonderful it is to regularly see kingfishers, wild orchids and bats in their habitats.

“The purpose of the survey is to understand how we can connect those richer areas, and develop more, so that wildlife can prosper more widely.

"We’ve got to take into account that if you want to see hedgehogs, then they need to eat snails; if you want butterflies, they need to lay their eggs somewhere; if you want bees, they need places to hibernate as well as feed.

“In some cases, this will mean ‘retraining’ ourselves to recognise that natural beauty comes in many forms – and that less-manicured areas also bring value to our wonderful town.”

Also at the meeting, a Biodiversity/Climate Emergency-focused communications budget was agreed to assist council officers in the process of rolling out biodiversity measures in a way which embraces community input, as well as educating and incentivising residents of all ages to get involved.

Council leader, Cllr Dom Newton, who proposed the original Biodiversity motion at Full Council, said: “We’ve seen throughout the COVID-19 crisis, that it’s vital to give clear messaging and communicate effectively – and this applies no less to the other major crisis, the climate and ecological emergency, that we face as a town, country and indeed worldwide, and one which is increasingly likely to have real-world effects on us all in the next decade if action is not taken now.

“Community consultation and engagement on exactly what biodiversity means for specific areas of the town, so that residents can continue to use them, while perhaps also appreciating them in new ways and getting new experiences from them, is really important if we are to succeed.

"We are engaging with external groups like the Blue Campaign and the Centre for Sustainable Energy to help us on that journey; one which will hopefully leave the town richer, both in terms of biodiversity, access to nature and potentially economically through eco-tourism."

For more details, go to www.bradfordonavontowncouncil.gov.uk/biodiversity-survey-given-the-green-light/