Biodiversity Duty Report January 2026 - Other strategies
We are Walsall 2040
“We are Walsall 2040: Our Future, Our Borough” is the fundamental long-term strategy of the council and its partners. The strategy was developed, alongside our borough partners, through consultation with over 10,000 residents with its vision making a commitment for Walsall “In 2040 to be the most improved borough in the region, a vibrant place where people are proud to live and residents in all neighbourhoods have the same life chances.”
The We Are Walsall 2040 (WAW2040) ambitions were defined following extensive resident feedback and are central to service delivery across every part of the council, with the 4 ambitions used as the overarching framework for Our Council Plan: 2025-2029, ensuring they guide the every-day work of the council and its partners.
- Ambition 1: Thriving & Happy
- Ambition 2: Healthy & Well
- Ambition 3: Prosperous & Innovative
- Ambition 4: Proud of our Borough
A key target outcome of our WAW2040 strategy is that “By 2040 we will be a clean and green borough with highly regarded parks and open spaces and be known as a place where nature is respected and protected.” A key commitment within the strategy that will help us achieve this outcome is our pledge to “Maintain our parks and green spaces for your enjoyment and safeguard our nature and biodiversity” as well as “Promoting opportunities for residents to do more to look after our open spaces”.
Throughout the engagement and consultation for our WAW2040 strategy, the importance and value of green spaces, nature and biodiversity across the borough was identified as one of our resident’s key priorities. The commitments in our strategy support the borough’s biodiversity duty by ensuring the safeguarding of the natural environment and the promotion of biodiversity, both of which are essential to achieving A Clean and Green future which is a key commitment of our We are Walsall 2040 Strategy
Our Council Plan 2025 - 2029
“Pursuing Excellence: Our Council Plan 2025-29” echoes the voices and priorities of the people of Walsall and defines the medium-term plan for the borough. The vision of the Strategy is to be a ‘continuously improving council, delivering excellence, reducing inequalities and improving life chances for all’.
The Strategy adopts the We Are Walsall 2040 ambitions as the overarching framework for our council priorities, as well as an internally focused ambition of Continuously Improving, ensuring we maximise the quality and efficiency of our service delivery:
- Ambition 1: Thriving & Happy
- Ambition 2: Healthy & Well
- Ambition 3: Prosperous & Innovative
- Ambition 4: Proud of our Borough
A key priority within the Council Plan is the creation and maintenance of ‘A Clean and Green Future’ across the entirety of Walsall, ensuring all residents can be Proud of Our Borough. Following a consultation with over 10,000 Walsall residents, the protection and prioritisation of our nature and green spaces was a key issue raised across the borough.
Within the Council Plan we specifically pledge to “Effectively manage our designated sites (such as Local Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest) to safeguard the natural environment and promote biodiversity”. These commitments support the borough’s biodiversity duty by ensuring the safeguarding of the natural environment and the promotion of biodiversity, both of which are essential to achieving A Clean and Green future which is a key commitment of our Council Plan.