The Panel was presented with the most
recently published Executive Forward Plan. In accordance with Procedure Rules, the Chairman
had requested prior to this meeting that the Leader provide
responses to a series of questions on the following Executive
agenda item:
(a)
Climate Change Programme
Question
1. Prior to the Special Council meeting on 25 July 2019, can
Members be informed which professional advisors will be consulted
and which strategies are being considered by Plymouth, Exeter and
Teignbridge Councils to help them achieve carbon neutrality by
2030?
In response, the Leader reminded the Panel that the
Council had yet to formally consider the Executive recommendations
and it was therefore very early days to be in a position to provide
such information. However, the Leader
and Chief Executive both emphasised that a great deal of combined
working was already being carried out.
Whilst both the University of Plymouth and University of Exeter had
committed to supporting the work, there were potential procurement
matters that would require addressing.
Assuming that Members approved the Executive
recommendations on 25 July 2019, then the Council would also then
commit to working with the Devon Climate Emergency Response
Group.
Question
2. Prior to the July Special Council meeting, can Members be
informed which professional advisors the Council is considering
using and which strategies will it consider adopting, in order to
assess the viability of a target for the South Hams of Carbon
Neutrality by 2030?
In reply, the Leader informed that the Response
Group would be setting up a website that would contain extensive
information (including the notes and action points arising from
meetings) and be hosted by Devon County Council. Once it was established, officers gave a
commitment to providing a link to the website to all
Members.
In highlighting that resources were scarce and a
co-ordinated response would be vital, the Leader stated that the
work required to calculate the Council’s Carbon Footprint
would be far more straightforward than the research required to
establish the Devonwide
picture.
Question
3. The Council aims to produce a Climate Action Plan within six
months – prior to the Special Council meeting in July, can
Members be provided with a draft timetable of stages to reach that
goal, including how and when external experts, this Panel, other
Members and the public would be consulted?
Whilst it was felt too early to be able to provide
this information, the Leader recognised the importance of keeping
the wider membership fully informed and she gave a commitment for
Members to be kept informed of progress via regular updates in the
Members Bulletin.
Question
4. In drawing up the Action Plan, will the Council seek to
identify, assess and maximise the potential economic, social and
environmental ‘co-benefits’ of the
following:
- reducing Council energy
bills;
- generating income from
renewable energy opportunities;
- reducing fuel poverty and
hypothermia;
- reducing air
pollution;
- creating new local
business, employment and investment opportunities;
- increasing local economic
resilience and self-reliance; and
- increasing tree cover and
biodiversity?
With
the possible exception of increasing tree cover and biodiversity,
the Leader was of the view that each of these points were
classified as ‘business as usual’ for the
Council.
Question
5. Prior to the July Special Council meeting, can Members be
informed what steps are being taken or proposed in respect of
working with other councils to address the proposed
Emergency?
The
Leader advised that this question had been addressed in the
previous responses that had been given.
In
the subsequent debate, reference was made to:-
(a)
the decision-making process at Special Council. The overriding view was that the commitment to
provide regular updates in the Members Bulletin, coupled with the
website link being circulated, would be sufficient and there would
consequently be no need for an additional report to be produced for
consideration at the Special Council meeting;
(b)
the development of the Action Plan.
Assurances were given to the Panel that all Members would be fully
involved in the development of the Action Plan;
(c)
the proposed Member Workshop. Whilst the
final details were still to be confirmed, it was noted that the
provisional date of Wednesday, 18 September 2019 had been set aside
for the Workshop to be held at the Woolwell Community Centre.