Henllan Community Council Reporting on Section 6 Environment (Wales) Act 2016 Part 1 – Section 6 The Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty
|
The Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty Report 2025 |
|
| Name of Community Council: | Henllan Community Council (HCC) (Denbighshire). |
| Group: | Group 1 |
| Introduction
HCC has a rural community of 667adults. Precept 2025-2026 is £18,270. And at this time, HCC only have a number of planters which our community including the schoolchildren of Henllan maintain. These planters have been planted up with native wild flowers including annual native perennials to blossom and give pollinators the best chance of survival in our village. We have a number of farms adjoining our village who adhere to wildlife practices for example cutting hedges after the chicks have left their nests and most fields have active wildlife borders. We have passed a bi-lingual slide show to Henllan school re-enforcing the importance of biodiversity not only for now but also looking to the future. |
| Action Report 2023 – 2025 |
| NRAP
Objective |
Action carried out to | Monitored by | |
| 1 | embed biodiversity into decision making & procurement | We at HCC considers biodiversity when reviewing decisions on planning matters, and comment accordingly to Denbighshire County Council (DCC) when necessary. A planning application was received for a further 22 houses to be built in Henllan -comments were made to DCC planning department as the HCC was concerned that flooding could occur. The developer is installing a balancing pond and tanks for sewage removal. When considering procurement, we try to source local goods and services to minimise harm to the environment by vehicles travelling further. We try to minimise harm and actively enhance biodiversity within our community.
|
|
|
|
-raise awareness of biodiversity & its importance
|
We have a co-ordinated approach on biodiversity with our village school Ysgol Gymraeg Henllan (the local primary School). A presentation has been made by the Headmistress to the pupils on biodiversity. The Head of the school has taken this on board and plans have been made for 2026, this includes a wildlife pond to encourage wildlife and insects to the areas. New areas of planting to native species plants to enhance the area. HCC are planning a presentation to be made by One Voice Wales to the Council on Biodiversity in the New Year to assist our training targets. | Full Council |
| 4 | -tackle negative factors: for e.g. reduce pollution, use nature based solutions to address invasive species
|
HCC actively monitors the village for pollution incidents – these can be from Welsh Water discharging waste into our streams or pollution spillages from any source. The Community Council undertakes regular litter picking in the village, and also does an annual litter pick involving many local residents. We actively remind dog owners of their responsibility to pick up their dog mess. To help with this the local school Ysgol Gymraeg Henllan has designed and posted signs to urge dog owners to do the right thing and pick up your mess (see poster below).
The Council asks residents to report invasive plants including; Japanese Knotweed, giant hog weed, and Himalayan balsam. We also keep observations for Ragwort which is poisonous to the area with farm animals. |
Stephanie Kelly Clerk and Full Council. |
| 6 | -support capacity and/or other organisations
|
HCC are partners with the Ysgol Gymraeg Henllan, the Committee for Henllan Church Institute who have an active wildlife garden including Bee garden area, Henllan Church and Wales and West Housing Association with their Butterfly Garden,
and also Henllan School with their wild life pond and wild flower planting. And our own Henllan Nature Park maintained by Denbighshire County Council. |
Full Council |
| Review of S6 duty actions for 2023-2025 | |
| What has worked well? | Relationships with Denbighshire County Council in getting our own Nature Park on a Brown Field Tip Site. This has included residents from Henllan and also the local school assisting the planting of 1,700 trees. See https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/news/news-detail.aspx?article=9c9d437f-4b36-4598-b256-a6f923db962b
The co-operation shown by our partnerships with the Henllan School, Church Institute in improving and extending the Henllan Bee garden see www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/18012592.buzzing-bee-project-henllan/ Henllan Church. Creating new habitats in the community.
|
| What have the barriers been? | We have tried for a number of years to get Henllan Recreational field transferred from Denbighshire County Council (DCC) to us at HCC. This Recreational field was in the Trusteeship of DCC and they did minimal maintenance and no biodiversity effort was actively made. We are taking the opportunity to hopefully in the next year transfer this into Henllan Community Councils possession. This field is currently used by six different football clubs, including boy and girl junior teams. Having the younger element gives us the possibility to include these in helping our biodiversity plan for the recreation field. This also gives us on transfer, the opportunity to have an HCC Council controlled area for biodiversity. |
| What will you change? | Community attitudes in relation to litter, dog mess. Training for Councillors encouraging further Community Biodiversity. |
| How and when will the s6 duty be monitored and the s6 plan reviewed? | This section 6 duty will be monitored annually in December each year. |
