Issue - meetings

Councillor B Deering, Chairman of the Climate Change Task and Finish Group provided Members with a summary of the work of the Task and Finish Group.  He thanked the Environment Sustainability Co-ordinator for his in depth knowledge and expertise during the Council’s process of reviewing climate change activity within East Herts.  Councillor Deering commented that it had been a very interesting area of work to review and of the need to give consideration to what could continue to be done.  He suggested that the Council might work more closely with local environment groups to promote energy efficiency measures and carbon reduction generally and that  consideration might be given to:

·       Holding a yearly local environment conference and inviting community groups;

·       Sending out further general information to the public;

·       Development of a promotional exemplar home energy show facility;

·       Investigate use of battery storage amongst other alternative energy technology on land owned by the Council and which could become a source of revenue;

The Environment Sustainability Co-ordinator provided a summary of the report in the context of:

·       Carbon reduction

·       Clean growth, carbon efficiency and energy generation;

·       Community development and communication;

·       Cleaner transport; and

·       Energy affordability and home energy efficiency

The Environment Sustainability Co-ordinator drew Members’ attention to Essential Reference Paper “C” which summarised the on-going work which the Council was undertaking to tackle climate change and also what could be done (Essential Reference Paper “D”) in terms of new ideas and proposals, to tackle climate change.  The Environment Sustainability Co-ordinator also referred to Essential Reference Paper “E” which set out additional policy principles that should be adopted and which could recommended to the Executive. 

The Chairman, on behalf of Members thanked all those who had been involved in the process and stated that the Council’s ongoing target to reduce carbon emissions remained ambitious.

Councillor N Symonds sought and was provided with clarification regarding buses automatically cutting out and being manually re-started by drivers.  She also referred to the need to publicise oil buying clubs and for Members to communicate this in their wards. 

The Environment Sustainability Co-Ordinator commented that leisure facilities were among one of the Council’s largest users of energy and as such, further improvements in efficiency of those premises would contribute to reducing the Council’s’ carbon emissions. He also commented on what domestic energy efficiency grants had in the past, as well as currently, been available to home owners.  Additionally he confirmed that information was available on the East Herts website about local oil buying clubs.

Councillor H Drake referred to wasted energy by shops keeping their doors wide open and that developers needed to be pressed to future proof developments and ensure energy capacity was sufficient in new developments to allow for expansion of electric vehicle charging points at a later stage. 

The Environment Sustainability Co-Ordinator acknowledged the problems with shop doors and energy wastage.  He referred to the process developers had to go through in terms of applying to the District Network Operator for a level of energy provision  ...  view the full minutes text for item 306