Member

211F: After Clause 132, insert the following new Clause— “Local Environmental Records Centres (“LERCs”)(1) Any planning application involving biodiversity net gain must include a data search report from the relevant Local Environmental Records Centre (LERC), and all data from biodiversity surveys conducted in connection with the application must be contributed free of charge to the LERC in record-centre-ready format.(2) All government departments and governmental organisations, local and national, that collect biodiversity data for whatever reason, must contribute it free of charge to the relevant LERCs in record-centre-ready format, and must include relevant LERC data in formulating policy and operational plans.”Member’s explanatory statement This amendment ensures that all the biodiversity data collected by or in connection with government is collected in Local Environmental Records Centres, so records are as good as possible, and that that data is then used by or in connection with government so that data is put to the best possible use.