Agenda item

*O&S 05          

The Lead Member for Natural Environment gave the six monthly update to the Committee on the Climate Change and Biodiversity Action Plan. 

The Chair then thanked the new Lead Member for Natural Environment for a comprehensive update.

Following questions from Members, the following points were made:

·           The Joint Local Plan (JLP) was produced a few years ago and was now out of line with the Biodiversity and Climate Emergency aims.  The JLP team were currently drafting a note for the JLP Partnership Board to help bring this into line.  The Climate Change Officer would also alert the JLP team to the need to ensure any new development had infrastructure built at a much earlier stage in the build.  The Hub Lead Member highlighted that the plan to have joined up action trails across the West Devon Borough area would help alleviate the issue of children having to walk along roads to get to school.  It would also help take many cyclists away from busy roads.  Scheduling of developments formed part of planning applications and this would also be looked into.

·           Biodiversity was measured using a standard grounds maintenance procedure based on metrics from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).  This would be done soon and would provide a baseline for future comparisons to ensure the minimum of 10% increase was achieved.

·           Following disquiet from some Members over the potential use of wind turbines, officers confirmed that all options were for review only and all would be voted on by Members, giving Members the opportunity to veto any options they did not wish to pursue. 

·           The capacity of Western Power Distribution to accept generated power would be reviewed as part of the Devon Carbon Plan.

·           The action plan had red text to show changes that had been made since the Council meeting held on 8 December 2020 at which it had been formally approved (Minute CM 23 refers).  It was noted that the action plan would shortly be put onto the Council website so that Members would be able to see the plan in real time.

·           The £90,000 set aside for consultancy had not been spent and may not be used now.

·           Ref action plan 1.7, it was clarified that this was a new action and was under investigation to find out what it would entail.  Some discussions were underway with a few representatives who had expressed an interest in putting some areas back to nature, ie reduced cutting.   Once investigations were completed, implications of this action would be brought back to Members for a decision.  Under point 2, business rate reduction for farmers, a Member suggested that it might be better to give farmers an incentive to produce more food to sell into the local economy.  Officers confirmed this was an option that could be added to ‘local food’ if Members so desired.

·           Ref action plan 1.2, it was clarified that research was underway and this would be looked at with any actions brought back to Members for a decision.

·           Officers reiterated that this was a scoping exercise with final decisions being made by Members in due course.  The two key aims were for the Council to be energy net zero by 2030, and wider work with partners to be net zero by 2050.

·           The date of adoption of the Devon Plan was expected to be around August 2021 as all responses from February 2021 were now being amalgamated.

·           There was a full discussion around cycle parking in the Borough where it was confirmed that there would be a financial impact of providing this and that the final decision rested with Members of the Council.

·           There would be a subsequent update on the plan in six months’ time.  In the meantime work would progress on the action plan and would be led by the Hub Lead and the newly proposed Natural Environment Hub Advisory Group.

It was then:

RESOLVED

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee note the update on the Climate Change and Biodiversity Action Plan