Ecological expertise within the council
Case reference FOI2025/00103
Received 17 January 2025
Published 17 January 2025
Request
How does the local authority access ecological expertise? Is it through:
a) in-house ecological staff within the local authority,
b) through a Service Level Agreement/shared resource with another local authority,
c) through a Service Level Agreement with another body e.g. Wildlife Trust, d) through other external expertise e.g. consultants,
e) no access to ecological expertise?
If it is a mixture of the above, could you please specify what the arrangements are.
I am specifically looking for how the authority accesses staff/resources for implementing, delivering, monitoring and reporting on biodiversity net gain and other natural environment functions.
Response
How does the local authority access ecological expertise? Is it through:
a) in-house ecological staff within the local authority,
b) through a Service Level Agreement/shared resource with another local authority,
c) through a Service Level Agreement with another body e.g. Wildlife Trust,
d) through other external expertise e.g. consultants, e) no access to ecological expertise?
If it is a mixture of the above, could you please specify what the arrangements are. I am specifically looking for how the authority accesses staff/resources for implementing, delivering, monitoring and reporting on biodiversity net gain and other natural environment functions.
Answer: A – In-house ecological staff within the local Authority.
Vacant posts in the council’s staffing establishment may be filled utilising ecological consultants appointed on short term contracts as specific cover and as caseloads dictate.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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