Agenda item

The Corporate Director of Economy & Place to present a report which sets out proposals to acquire land to enable the creation of a large new area of woodland close to the city, providing green amenity space for residents, and plant trees that will contribute to the council’s commitment to become net carbon neutral by 2030.

Resolved:  (i)      That approval be given to acquire the freehold interest in approximately 150 acres of agricultural land within the City of York Council boundary for £1.65 million, as set out in exempt Annex 3 to the report.

                   (ii)      That the purchase be funded from the existing £3m Northern Forest budget agreed at Budget Council in February 2020, re-profiling the budget to allow the purchase in 2020/21, with officers seeking to obtain where possible the external funding that is potentially available, as set out in the report, as an alternative to the use of this budget.

                   (iii)     That authority be delegated to the Director of Economy & Place, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change, the S151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer (or her delegated officers) to take such steps as are necessary to complete the purchase once all due diligence has been satisfactorily conducted on the land.

                   (iv)    That authority be delegated to the Director of Economy & Place to grant short term agricultural leases of the land, once acquired, until such time as it can be planted for woodland.

                   (v)     That authority be delegated to the Director of Economy & Place, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change, the S151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer (or her delegated officers) to take such steps as are necessary to negotiate and complete the purchase of the plot of adjacent land identified in exempt Annex 2 to increase the size of the proposed woodland.

                   (vi)    That it be noted that officers will bring a report to a Decision Session of the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change to agree the membership and terms of reference for a working group of interested parties which will inform the development of proposals for the layout, planting and long-term management of the woodland.

                   (vii)    That approval be given for officers to prepare options for the development and long-term management of the woodland and bring these back to the Executive.

Reason:     To establish a community woodland within the City Council boundary, achieving the Council’s ambition to plant 50,000 trees by 2023.

                   (viii)   That authority be delegated to the Director of Economy & Place, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change, the S151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer (or her delegated officers) to take such steps as are necessary to negotiate and complete the purchase of up to 30 acres of land adjacent to the dualled A1237 for additional tree planting.

Reason:     To increase tree planting within the City Council boundary, achieving the Council’s ambition to plant 50,000 trees by 2023.

                   (ix)    That the further acquisitions authorised in (v) and (viii) above be funded up to a total of £400k from the £3m Northern Forest budget, acknowledging that that budget will need to be re-profiled from future years to fund the acquisitions.

Reason:     To ensure there is a budget available to fund the acquisitions in the year that they occur.

                   (x)     That the draft Pollinator Strategy be referred to the Climate Change Scrutiny Committee, for it to make recommendations to Executive as to how the new pollinator strategy and action plan can strike an appropriate balance with other priorities.

Reason:     To inform the development of the Pollinator Strategy.

The Head of Asset Management and the Head of Corporate Policy & City Partnershipspresented a report which set out proposals to acquire land to enable the creation of a large new area of woodland close to the city, providing a green amenity space for residents and planting trees that would contribute to the council’s commitment to becoming net carbon neutral by 2030.

Part of the net carbon commitment was an ambition to plant 50,000 trees within the city boundary by 2023.  In February 2020, Council had approved a budget of £3m to purchase pieces of land, over a period of 5 years, for that purpose.  An opportunity had now arisen to purchase approx. 150 acres of agricultural land that would enable the council to create a community woodland large enough to achieve the target and meet the green space requirements of the Local Plan.  A non-binding offer had been made and approval was sought to purchase the land, and to explore the potential purchase of an adjacent plot of land to simplify access and create a more substantial woodland. 

The report outlined a high level vision for the woodland to inform its design and layout.  This would be consulted on as part of the early community engagement activity.  Options for future management would be developed through engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.  Benefits to flora and fauna must also be captured; in recognition of this, and in response to a resolution made by Full Council, a draft pollinator strategy had been developed and was attached at Annex 6.  It was proposed to refer this to the Climate Change Scrutiny Committee for advice.

The Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change strongly endorsed the proposals and, having noted the comments made under Public Participation, it was

Resolved:  (i)      That approval be given to acquire the freehold interest in approximately 150 acres of agricultural land within the City of York Council boundary for £1.65 million, as set out in exempt Annex 3 to the report.

                   (ii)      That the purchase be funded from the existing £3m Northern Forest budget agreed at Budget Council in February 2020, re-profiling the budget to allow the purchase in 2020/21, with officers seeking to obtain where possible the external funding that is potentially available, as set out in the report, as an alternative to the use of this budget.

                   (iii)     That authority be delegated to the Director of Economy & Place, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change, the S151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer (or her delegated officers) to take such steps as are necessary to complete the purchase once all due diligence has been satisfactorily conducted on the land.

                   (iv)    That authority be delegated to the Director of Economy & Place to grant short term agricultural leases of the land, once acquired, until such time as it can be planted for woodland.

                   (v)     That authority be delegated to the Director of Economy & Place, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change, the S151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer (or her delegated officers) to take such steps as are necessary to negotiate and complete the purchase of the plot of adjacent land identified in exempt Annex 2 to increase the size of the proposed woodland.

                   (vi)    That it be noted that officers will bring a report to a Decision Session of the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change to agree the membership and terms of reference for a working group of interested parties which will inform the development of proposals for the layout, planting and long-term management of the woodland.

                   (vii)    That approval be given for officers to prepare options for the development and long-term management of the woodland and bring these back to the Executive.

Reason:     To establish a community woodland within the City Council boundary, achieving the Council’s ambition to plant 50,000 trees by 2023.

                   (viii)   That authority be delegated to the Director of Economy & Place, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change, the S151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer (or her delegated officers) to take such steps as are necessary to negotiate and complete the purchase of up to 30 acres of land adjacent to the dualled A1237 for additional tree planting.

Reason:     To increase tree planting within the City Council boundary, achieving the Council’s ambition to plant 50,000 trees by 2023.

                   (ix)    That the further acquisitions authorised in (v) and (viii) above be funded up to a total of £400k from the £3m Northern Forest budget, acknowledging that that budget will need to be re-profiled from future years to fund the acquisitions.

Reason:     To ensure there is a budget available to fund the acquisitions in the year that they occur.

                   (x)     That the draft Pollinator Strategy be referred to the Climate Change Scrutiny Committee, for it to make recommendations to Executive as to how the new pollinator strategy and action plan can strike an appropriate balance with other priorities.

Reason:     To inform the development of the Pollinator Strategy.