Biodiversity progress across city

Significant progress has been made within the city’s Biodiversity Action Plan over the last year, with increased community growing, improved habitat conservation, and greater external funds raised for planting and protecting wildlife.

Although timescales for some actions have been impacted due to previous Covid restrictions, Council officers have progressed well on actions and worked with partners to find a variety of methods to support and improve biodiversity within the city across 2022/23.

The construction of Camperdown Growing Hub has been completed with a functional food growing garden featuring several growing tunnels. The Campy Growers Group have now taken control of the area and have received funding for three new staff members to run the facility.

Neighbourhood Services Committee Convener Heather Anderson said: “The Camperdown Growing Hub project undertakes regenerative food-growing practices including no-dig, on-site composting, agro-forestry, and chemical-free production as an example of good stewardship of the land.

“The Campy Growers are actively creating habitats and growing with nature, two hundred fruit trees have already been planted and exciting plans to create a wetland habitat at the space have begun.

“This is a fantastic success story and the council’s Community Allotment Officer continues to support the Campy Growers Community Group to prosper into the future.”

The progress report also highlights that the council has acquired new operational equipment to reduce the amount of herbicide used in the city, with herbicide usage being continuously reviewed to reduce overall use and consider suitable alternatives which better support local biodiversity.

In the last year, Dundee City Council also received £86,000 entitled to local authorities from the national Nature Restoration Fund which has seen Baxter Park undergo enhanced naturalised grasslands, additional wildflower seed & fruit trees, a second phase of pond improvement works at Den O Mains, the installation of 100 amphibian ladders in the city, additional machinery for managing grasslands, and the restoration of lades and sluice gates at Trottick Ponds.

An additional £262,000 of competitive funding was secured by the Council from the Nature Restoration Fund for the recent twelve hectares of Climate Resilient Woodland plantings at Riverside Nature Park, Balgay Hill and space north of Brackens at Clatto.

Councillor Heather Anderson added: “Nature loss and climate change are two sides of the same coin – so restoring nature across our city also plays a vital role in tackling climate change. The range of work we’ve been undertaking across the city is impressive.

“The Biodiversity Action Plan is a broad-church of activity which benefits local people and our nature here.

“Exciting new developments such as the community growing spaces at the Rockwell Learning Centre and Mill O Mains Primary School and, working alongside Eden, new annual wildflower areas created at Morgan Academy and Camperdown Park, have helped to work towards actions set out in the Plan.

“Progress is significant on top of the high standards of work already carried out by the council, volunteers and partners which meant all seven Green Flag sites in the city retained their status, Broughty Ferry Beach successfully achieved a Keep Scotland Beautiful Beach Award, and SEPA graded the bathing water at Broughty Ferry Beach as excellent again too.”

The city’s Biodiversity Action Plan was launched in early 2020 and details how the council & partners work together to protect, enhance and raise awareness in the city until 2030.

The achievements and progress made on implementing Dundee’s Biodiversity Action Plan in 2022/23 will be discussed at the Neighbourhood Services Committee on Monday 12th June 2023.

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