Agenda item

Planning and Sustainability (C-076-2020-21) - This report provides members with a summary of the objectives and purpose of the Climate Change Action Plan.

(1)        The Cabinet agreed that the Draft Climate Change Action Plan be approved for public consultation for a six-week period in June 2021; and

(2)        Agreed that the Planning Services Director, in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder be authorised to make minor amendments to the Draft Climate Change Action Plan.

The Planning and Sustainability Portfolio Holder introduced the report on the Climate Change Strategy.

The draft Climate Change Action Plan states the steps to be taken to deliver on the Climate Emergency that was declared on 19 September 2019 with the motion to do everything within the Council's power to make Epping Forest District Council area carbon neutral by 2030. The plan aligned with the corporate objectives of keeping the district moving sustainably and enabling residents to access new opportunities for employment, to reduce the carbon footprint across the district and within our council.

This report provided members with a summary of the objectives and purpose of the Climate Change Action Plan. The intention was that following public consultation and any updates arising, that the final action plan would return to the Cabinet to endorse the adoption of the plan.

The Climate Change Action Plan examined the main sources of carbon emissions both within the Councils’ own operations and across the District. It outlined direct action the Council were taking to reduce emissions of its own activities. As well as steps that could be taken to facilitate and influence emissions reductions in the wider District, enabling the area to become carbon neutral by 2030. The plan would be regularly updated to account for further developments in national legislation, regulation, technology, and policy. Where activities and monitoring were to be confirmed these would be updated following consultation feedback.

Councillor Philip was glad to see the council was moving forward with this and it would be improved with the consultation within the district. That could be more interactive as Covid restrictions opened up.

Councillor Patel was also glad to see this and asked how we would be consulting with our residents? He was told that it would be through the normal channels, online and sent out to Town and Parish councils. It would be similar to the sustainability consultation process and we would also be consulting with the Youth Council and members of the general public. There would also be a special meeting of the Local Councils Liaison Committee. Councillor Patel said that we needed better ways to consult with our residents now we had Covid and should also bring in Junior Schools into this.

Councillor Neville was glad to see this extensive document. It was still a work in progress, but at present we lacked ways to monitor our progress; e.g. such as number of the public using busses or homes being refitted, or monitoring pollutants etc. He noted that we did not have indications of our carbon emissions as yet and asked when we would. He was told that officers were working with consultants to look at those emissions this month.

Councillor Chris Pond thought that litter pollution was a particular problem during lock down and noted that the period of a six week consultation was on the low side but would watch this with great interest.  Councillor Bedford said that they would look to see if they could extend the period.

Councillor Wixley referred to electric vehicle charging points and the infrastructure mentioned in the report. He noted that we were working with Essex Highways to provide on street charging points but equally vital was to have discussions with the utility companies; had any taken place? Councillor Bedford said that this would be down to the County as it was their highways.  We were looking at banks of charging points in our car parks. We needed to be reasonable about what we could provide and where. We would try and get in as many charging points as we could, but we had to consider public safety and network capacity.

Councillor Philip noted that in Theydon Bois they had the worst power supply in the region and had concerns about the supply network and charging points could cause problems.

Decision:

(1)        The Cabinet agreed that the Draft Climate Change Action Plan be approved for public consultation for a six-week period in June 2021; and

(2)        Agreed that the Planning Services Director, in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder be authorised to make minor amendments to the Draft Climate Change Action Plan.

Reasons for Proposed Decision:

To ensure that members are kept up to date on the progress of the draft Climate Change Action Plan

Other Options for Action:

Not to agree the draft Climate Change Action Plan can be published for a 6-week consultation, which would mean that a delay in providing a plan to address the declared Climate Emergency.