Ponds, Plans and Paths – Empowering Parishes

The Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC), in collaboration with BFER, has hosted three insightful workshops aimed at supporting parish councils in shaping sustainable and biodiverse communities. Here’s a round-up of all three, with links to the recordings, as well as a bonus link to the biodiversity for parishes webinar we delivered in 2024.

Workshop 1. Neighbourhood Planning for Parishes – 24th June 2025

This lunchtime webinar introduced the neighbourhood planning process, featuring expert insights from West Suffolk Council and the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Attendees gained valuable knowledge on:

• The significance and benefits of neighbourhood planning
• Key considerations in drafting planning policies
• Legal requirements and the steps from examination to implementation
• Integrating biodiversity through audits, Biodiversity Net Gain, and local wildlife monitoring.

The webinar recording and presentation slides are available here: Neighbourhood Planning for Parishes

Workshop 2. Pond restoration and conservation – 10^th July 2025

In this special evening webinar, Carl Sayer,  Professor of Limnology & Freshwater Ecology, University College London and a co-founder and Director of the Norfolk Ponds Project (NPP), gave a fascinating talk on pond restoration and discovering the hidden world of pond conservation. Carl shared:

• His first-hand experiences in pond restoration
• Practical insights into the pond restoration process

• An introduction to ghost ponds and pingos

• The benefits to wildlife from restoring ponds

• Key considerations and actionable steps for creating or maintaining ponds

The webinar recording is available here: Pond Restoration Webinar.

Workshop 3: Rights of Way with Suffolk Council – 23rd September 2025

Claire Dickson, Rights of Way Operations Manager for Suffolk County Council and Beverley McClean, National Landscape Planning Officer from Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape Team give their insights into public access.

Delve into the management and enhancement of public pathways within parishes, including:

• history and complexities of legislation
• current access rights
• the responsibilities of the County Council and Landowners
• opportunities for promotion of access.
• the recent changes to Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (as amended) which have strengthened the duty on all Relevant Authorities in relation to Protected Landscapes, including AONBs.

The webinar recording is available here: Rights of Way Webinar

Bonus Content! Our 2024 webinar: Biodiversity for Parishes

Suffolk Wildlife Trust, and Norfolk Wildlife Trust, shared their knowledge and experience surrounding planning and biodiversity.

The Environment Act places a duty on Parish Councils to “conserve and enhance” the natural world. The webinar helped to demonstrate the opportunities this brings for delivering genuine benefits for wildlife and people on a local level.

During the webinar, speakers Rupert Masefield (SWT) and Ella Warren Cooke (NWT) explored:

• How biodiversity fits into planning systems following the Environment Act.
• The role of the biodiversity metric and why a 10% net gain is just a minimum.
• Reassurances over the obligations for biodiversity reporting and auditing and what parish councils can easily do to improve the biodiversity value of greenspaces.

The webinar recording is available here: Biodiversity Webinar

For more information and resources like this, explore our amazing and varied resource hub here: Brecks Resources