Reporting on Section 6 Community and Town Councils

The Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty  Report 2025
Name of Community or Town Council:	Sully & Lavernock Community Council
Group:	2
Introduction and Context Sully & Lavernock Community Council is semi-rural and covers two wards that contain 2570 residential properties. There are plans for further housing, a solar farm and active travel route.  The council has set a precept of £99400.00 for the financial year 2026/2027.  The Community Council currently has nine Councillors and employs a clerk and cleaner on a part time basis.  As part of the Vale of Glamorgan review of Town and Community Council Boundaries it is anticipated that the number of residential properties will change, with the loss of one Councillor. The community Council manage Jubilee Hall, the Sports Pavilion and the community fields at Burnham Avenue. There is a small children’s play area, football pitch and cricket pitch at the community field along with a bowling green. It is anticipated that all will be subject of a Community Asset Transfer in the near future.  Lavernock Point SSSI, currently managed by WTSWW, will remain in the Council area. Sully is a coastal village half way between Barry and Penarth on the B4267 situated less than five miles from Cardiff. Sully Island has evidence of an Iron-Age fort and the village is thought to go back to Roman and Saxon times.  Certainly the village came to the fore, when Reginald De Sully, who came over with William the Conqueror and was one of the twelve knights of Glamorgan, built a castle to guard the tidal estuary between Sully and what is now Barry.  The village church is dedicated to St John the Baptist and is over 900 hundred years old.
Action Report 2023 - 2025

NRAP Objective	Action carried out to…	Monitored by:
1	-embed biodiversity into decision making & procurement	Council procurement policies require the Clerk to source locally wherever possible as permitted by the need to require competitive tenders. A councillor was appointed to take the work forward in 2022 and progress is reviewed as a standing agenda item at council meetings.	Council Finance Ctte. Full council
-raise awareness of biodiversity & its importance	Organisation of local Beach Clean under Marine Conservation Society Banner.  Use of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch to bring together individuals and groups to share experiences.  Launch of the Sustainable Sully group to support bio-diversity initiatives in the community, connecting where possible with wider local/national/international initiatives.	Full council
2	-safeguard principal species and habitats	Our grassland management responsibilities for the community sports fields require us to maintain them in a useable condition according to season.  Surrounding areas are left uncut for as long as practicality allows.  A bund running between the sports fields and Sully Bay is cut annually in September.	Full council
3	-restore & create habitats and resilient ecological networks	There is a small parcel of land close to the old railway line between Penarth and Barry which has been left alone for years.  It is accessible only to the intrepid and consists of hazel and mixed undergrowth and will so be left.  At the Barry end of Sully there is a sycamore stand currently under management by the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Welsh Church Act Estates Committee.  We are exploring the possibility of getting this incorporated into the National Forest of Wales, informal contact with whom has been encouraging.  Should this be successful the site in question will help create a wildlife corridor between the Sully Moors SINC and the coast. Contributed to discussions initiated by Sully “Our Future Community” group to develop a linear park connecting open spaces on existing housing estates with nature.  This has been adopted by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and our S6 lead councillor participated with Sustainable Sully volunteers in a wild-flower seed sowing event run by the Vale LNP.	Full council
4	-tackle negative factors: for e.g. reduce pollution, use nature based solutions, address invasive species	Recent works at Smithies Avenue to encourage active travel has included improving the path at the rear of the school (land we have under licence from the Vale of Glamorgan Council).   S106 money from a recent housing development was used to create drop kerbs, tactile paving and wild-flower planting by the school, all under the active travel concept to reduce pollution and promote well-being. We have also changed some of the grass cutting machinery to electric.	Full council
5	-use improve and share evidence	See references under 1 above and 6.	Full Council
6	-support capacity and/or other organisations	Building capacity with the launch of Sustainable Sully.  Regular engagement with Wild About Nature Dinas Powis, Vale of Glamorgan LNP and One Voice Wales	Full council

Review of S6 duty actions for 2023-2025
What has worked well?	Engaging with external organisations (One Voice Wales, Vale LNP and others) which, from a standing start, we found very supportive.
What have the barriers been?	Initially the lack of wider constitutional awareness of the obligation, leading to a piecemeal approach and hopefully being addressed by this report.
What will you change?	Using the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) template will enable us to take a more structured approach and this will be launched in early 2026 following council deliberations and consultation with partners.
How and when will the s6 duty be monitored and the s6 plan reviewed?	Progress will be monitored at council meetings but the BAP will keep us on track for a review in December 2026.