Fresh water features and shared fruit tree gardens are among the measures transforming outdoor areas throughout Cherwell.

The district council’s leadership team has given the green light to its inaugural Biodiversity Duty Report, detailing how it intends to fulfill its obligations under the Environment Act 2021 for wildlife recovery and habitat establishment.

The authority has launched a Biodiversity and Climate Resilience division to bolster its environmental work and guarantee that nature considerations are woven into every aspect of planning and policy choices.

Councillor Tom Beckett, who holds the portfolio for Greener Communities, stated that one in six British species faces extinction risk due to habitat destruction. He noted that the council takes a forward-looking approach to reversing this pattern, not solely because of the inherent value of flora and fauna, but also due to nature’s significance for mental wellbeing and the community’s capacity to withstand climate heating and severe weather conditions.

In its role as a planning body, Cherwell implements biodiversity net gain requirements for fresh construction projects to counterbalance the ecological effects of building work.

During 2024-25, the authority gave the nod to biodiversity proposals for 11 locations, achieving an average improvement of 15.5 per cent, which surpasses the statutory 10 per cent threshold.

Hedgerow habitat enhancements produced improvements of 63 per cent, while initiatives targeting great crested newts and additional amphibian species resulted in almost 130 hectares of newly created or restored living space.

The document additionally spotlights the council’s backing for local projects, including Burnehyll Community Woodland, Kidlington Open Spaces and Wild Banbury.

A fresh Community Biodiversity Plan is presently being crafted to steer upcoming activities.