Agenda item

As the Local Nature Partnership nears the end of the first of its two years of secure funding, the LNP Manager has drafted a progress report for Local Authority stakeholders. It is felt appropriate to explore other sources of additional funding and resource.

The Board is asked to comment on the progress report and suggest ways to:

1.     ensure continuation funding from Local Authorities and;

2.    secure a more diverse funding settlement including from other sources.

Matt Whitney, Local Nature Partnership Manager introduced a report setting out the progress of the LNP in year one of two of local authority funding and an attached draft LNP annual report to the Future Oxfordshire Partnership, (FOP) which it was intended would be presented in September 2023. He informed the Board that it was appropriate time to take stock as a first step to the continuation of local authority funding and to also look at future alternative and additional funding sources.

Over the previous year a significant amount of progress had been made in shaping the LNP as it established itself and undertaking the necessary preparatory work for future delivery. This was consistent with the LNP’s three goals and the priorities that underpinned them.

The Board was asked to:

1.      consider the detail presented in the report and comment on progress of the partnership to date.

2.      comment on the presentation of the report, suggesting ways in which we might better make our case for continuation funding.

3.      propose ways to diversify and increase LNP funding, especially core funding.

Members of the Board welcomed the report. In discussion, it was suggested that it would be useful to examine the funding arrangements of more established LNPs to look for best practice.

In making the case for additional funding it was important to seek to demonstrate the positive links between LNP activity and outputs and the wider Oxfordshire agenda including the voluntary sector. It was also necessary to show what could be delivered in terms LNP activity through a three-five year plan and its benefits to Oxfordshire if funding was available. It was stressed that this should be in addition to existing core funding, (currently provided by the Oxfordshire local authorities) in order to build capacity and not a substitute for the core funding.

In response to these points. Matt Whitney commented the LNPs he was aware of had a range of core funding arrangements. Some were funded entirely from upper tier local authorities whilst some were funded entirely from local wildlife trusts. As an example, the Gloucestershire LNP received funding from the National Trust, the Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, local universities, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England as well as local wildlife trusts and local authorities, but the biggest contributors were local authorities.

Susan Harbour, Strategic Partnership’s Manager for South and Vale Councils stated that it was not intended to ask for alternative core funding, a combination of funding sources was needed. It was necessary to make the case of how funding of the LNP would represent value for money by increasing opportunities to leverage in additional funding over and above what would have been possible otherwise. September represented an opportune time to present to the FOP as September usually was the start of the budget planning process. Ian Boll echoed these points and also suggested that major national infrastructure projects such as East West Rail and High Speed Two might provide potential lessons on how funding for nature could be accessed.

Other comments and suggestions for sources of additional funding during the Board’s discussion included:

·           Planning – contributions to support Biodiversity net gain

·           It was important to be transparent that if the LNP did not exist, local authorities would need to set up their own individual arrangements as they would be required to undertake many of its function. But supporting a LNP provided additional opportunities to leverage in more funds.

·           Support through contributions in kind or were just as valuable as cash contributions. There other things organisations could do to support the LNP if they could not help financially.

·           The majority, if not all local authorities in Oxfordshire had established some kind of climate emergency committee and it was important to establish an ongoing relationship with those committees through regular attendance that could focus on the value added by the LNP how support for the LNP could assist them in delivery of their own climate objectives.

·           Drafting of briefing note or summary infographic, or video clip for councillors on the LNP’s work, aims and objectives as close to the local elections as possible– although it was noted that a newsletter on the Future Oxfordshire Partnership which included a section on the LNP had recently been introduced. 

·           Exploration of potential private sector funding opportunities including Green Finance – LNP Forum a potential audience. A need to be more transactional in approach rather than seeking more general funding.

ACTION: The LNP manager to investigate opportunities for outreach with the climate emergency committees of the respective Oxfordshire local authorities in order to socialise and share the LNP’s plans and ambitions.