North Lincolnshire Council today welcomed a new Local Nature Partnership - one of only 41 in the country - that will protect and improve the Humber Estuary.
The Humber Estuary is one of the four largest British estuaries, is a European Marine Site and one of the most important estuaries in Europe for migratory birds. The estuary’s ports complex is the largest in the UK.
The area provides over 20 per cent of the country’s oil refinery capacity and over 4GW of electivity. It has nationally important chemical and food processing industry clusters. And more recently, the Humber Estuary has emerged as one of the most important locations for the development of renewable energy.
The Humber Local Enterprise Partnership has given its full support to the new Partnership that will help:
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Strengthen and develop existing working relationships
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Present the estuary as a single entity
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Build on the experience gained improving the ecology of industrial owned sites
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Raise awareness of the Humber Estuary’s natural assets
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Work effectively with the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership
It will do this by:
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Producing a step-by-step guide for prospective developers on how to engage with the Humber LNP about developments affecting or affected by the Habitats Regulations. This will help streamline the planning process.
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Establish effective working relationships with the Humber LEP.
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Agree a strategic mitigation framework across the Humber Estuary.
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Create a database to identify potential impacts on the Humber Estuary.
In the next six months, the Partnership will produce a communications strategy to increase awareness of the Humber Estuary European Marine site.
The new partnership includes:
The new Partnership will work in close partnership with the Hull and East riding and Greater Lincolnshire Local Nature Partnerships.
For information on Local Nature Partnerships and the Natural Environment White Paper visit DEFRA
Cllr Liz Redfern, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said:
“The Humber Local Nature Reserve Partnership will help ensure that all those involved do their utmost to help protect and improve the natural environment along the Humber Estuary - one of the UK’s four largest estuaries. We are one of just 41 partnerships in the country and we feel privileged to be nationally recognised.
“And with full support of the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership, this will give us even greater power to ensure that we protect our wildlife and heritage along the Humber Estuary.”
Richard Benyon, Parliamentary Undersecretary for the Natural Environment, said:
“The vision, energy and commitment displayed in these applications were wonderful. Really diverse partners, many coming together for the first time, to work across geographic boundaries and administrative borders, and finding innovative ways of pooling and sharing limited local resources. And all this driven by the ambition to not only safeguard nature, but to recognise its importance to economic growth and the wellbeing of communities.”
For media enquiries please contact:
Sarah Howe, Senior Media Relations Officer
Tel: 01724 296353, Mobile: 07717586353
Email: sarah.howe@northlincs.gov.uk
