Issue - meetings

To receive any public questions.

The Chairman invited David Royle, who was attending as a representative of the Bishop’s Stortford Climate Change Group, to ask the question he had submitted.

Mr Royle asked the Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability, Councillor McAndrews: 

 “The County Council declared a Climate Emergency on 16 July last year. On 24 July, this Council passed a climate change motion and committed to 'do everything...to reduce its impact on the climate and moreover do everything … in supporting the whole of East Herts District to become carbon neutral by 2030'. This is only 9 years and six months away. What is the timescale for an action plan to meet this commitment, what progress has been made to date, and what will be the process of consultation on its final form?”

Councillor McAndrew responded as follows:

“Thank you for this question. Sustainability is at the heart of the council’s priorities. To that end, a detailed action plan linked to the council’s nine Climate Change commitments, including achieving carbon neutrality, has been drawn up. Importantly, the plan attempts to quantify the carbon efficiencies associated with individual actions. 

The questioner may recall that we started sharing our work through the first East Herts Environmental and Climate Change Forum meeting held in Ware in January. While delayed by the lockdown, we are now preparing for a second Forum meeting via a videoconference at the start of September at which we can share the latest version of the action plan, seek comments and amend it accordingly as we consider it to be a ‘living document’.

Also in September, consultation will commence on the council’s new Environmental Sustainability Supplementary Planning Guidance which aims to facilitate reductions in carbon emissions from new buildings and maximise sustainability during development.

Finally, the council is aiming to maximise its influence and pool skills by playing a pro-active role in the newly formed Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership which brings together all ten districts, the County Council and the Local Enterprise Council. The Partnership will also be reaching out to the public and other groups through several conference events each year.

Mr Royle thanked Councillor McAndrew for his response.