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Local Authorities and Sustainable Peatland Management: Current Opportunities and Future Possibilities for Local Approaches
Nature and Covid 19 recovery.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought many people into their local environment, exploring the nature on their doorstep, sometimes for the first time. This experience highlighted the benefits of nature to our physical and mental health as well as the need to protect this for our continued development and that of future generations. Welsh Government recognised the importance of land use planning in this regard in its strategy for land use planning and the Covid 19 recovery. This strategy notes the importance of enhancing biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and green infrastructure for Covid 19 recovery as well as ensuring access to green space and nature. SPM is also, therefore, very relevant to this agenda.
What actions might local authorities take to support SPM?
This section provides a more detailed outline of the powers and responsibilities of local authorities and the way these can support SPM. It is important to differentiate the core functions of local authorities; and their duties and powers in each instance because these often dictate the political will and level of resource that is applied. Conversely it is important to note that local authorities are not bound solely by their core functions and responsibilities. Local authorities have a long history of using their discretionary powers to develop innovative action to address issues that are important to local communities. The legal framework for local authorities recognises the importance of taking action to benefit or improve the local area. This includes powers to purchase land by agreement for these purposes. Since the Local Government Act 2000, local authorities have had a general power to act so that they would not need to identify a specific power or duty to act in all circumstances. This has recently been amended by the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 to address the perception that the original power was too restrictive because it referred to the need to address the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the local area. This section also outlines opportunities to take action to support SPM through a local authority’s own operations and the development of policies only indirectly related to their core functions and duties. Of course, there are financial constraints on this and political perceptions of the significance of such action will also be important.
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