Agenda item

Motion on Notice

To receive a Motion on Notice.

Minutes:

Councillor S Bell submitted the following motion on notice:

 

Man-made climate change is the biggest threat that humanity faces. In 2018 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stated that we have just 12 years to act on climate change if global temperatures rises are to be kept within the recommended 1.5 degrees celsius.

 All governments whether national, regional or local have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate change and need to commit to aggressive reduction targets and carbon neutrality as quickly as possible.

 East Herts District Council has a pivotal role to play in tackling climate change and enabling sustainable living. 

 

 We recognise the importance of tackling climate change both in the terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimise future global climate change and planning for the unavoidable local impacts of climate change.

 

 Therefore, East Herts District Council will :-

 

1)  Join with other Councils in recognising and declaring a Climate Emergency,   

2)  Pledge to do everything within the Council’s power to support the whole of East Herts District to become carbon neutral by 2030,

3)   Develop an ambitious sustainability strategy for reducing the Council’s own emissions, with an objective that the Council becomes carbon neutral by 2030,

4) Include in all planning regulations and the Local Plan measures to cut carbon emissions and reduce the impact on the environment,

5)  Call on National Government for more powers and resources to make this pledge possible, and ask the Council’s Leader to write to the Secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to this effect,

6)  Continue to work with partners across the District, County and Region to deliver this new goal, through all relevant strategies and plans,

7)  Take account of climate impacts within existing decision-making processes,

8)  Set up an Environmental and Climate Emergency Forum, in line with the recommendation D16 from the Task and Finish Group which was approved by this Council on 5th March, 2019,

9)  Reconvene the Climate Change task and finish Group, and require it to monitor progress on delivering the pledge, and to report back to the Council every 6 months,

10)  Dedicate enough staff and budget to achieve these aims, including the most appropriate training for members and officers to promote carbon neutral policies and to achieve these aims.”

 

Councillor Bell spoke in support of the motion.  Regarding the amendment proposed by Councillor G McAndrew, she questioned why the amendment omitted the word “emergency”, when numerous other councils including the government and Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) had declared a climate emergency.  She said her proposals gave a framework for practical measures to be taken by the Council in view of the global imperative to stop emissions of greenhouse gases.  She urged the Council to support the motion. 

 

Councillor J Frecknall seconded the motion.  He said Government had declared a climate emergency, and all levels of government should take action.  Using Cllr McAndrew’s work from the task and finish group last year, the Council was in a position to become a leading local authority in future-proofing communities.  This was an emergency and the Council must act accordingly. 

 

Councillor G McAndrew proposed an amendment to the motion as follows: 

 

that Man-made climate change is the biggest threat that humanity faces.  In 2018 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stated that we have just 12 years to act on climate change if global temperatures rises are to be kept within the recommended 1.5 degrees celsius.

 

All governments whether national, regional or local have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate change and need to commit to aggressive reduction targets and carbon neutrality as quickly as possible.  East Herts District Council has a pivotal role to play in tackling climate change and enabling sustainable living. 

 

We recognise the importance of tackling climate change both in the terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimise future global climate change and planning for the unavoidable local impacts of climate change.

 

Therefore, East Herts District Council will: -

 

1)  Join with other Councils in recognising and declaring formally the necessity to do everything within the authority’s power to reduce its impact on the climate and moreover do everything we can in supporting the whole of East Herts District to become carbon neutral by 2030,

 

2)  Develop an ambitious sustainability strategy for reducing the Council’s own emissions, with an objective that the Council becomes carbon neutral by 2030,

 

3)  Work with national and regional partners to ensure that where at all possible we support climate friendly planning and building controlregulations and seek where possible to include the very best measures intothe Local Plan to minimise any negative impact on the environment,

 

4)  Call on National Government for more powers and resources to make this pledge possible, and ask the Council’s Leader to write to the Secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to this effect,

 

5)  Continue to work with partners across the District, County and Region to deliver this new goal, through all relevant strategies and plans,

 

6)  Take account of climate impacts within existing decision-making processes,

 

7)  Set up an Environmental and Climate Forum, in line with the recommendations from the Task and Finish Group which were approved by this Council on 5th March, 2019,

 

8)  The Environmental Forum to monitor progress regularly, and to report back,

 

9)  Commit to making availablethe appropriate training to members and officers to promote carbon neutral policies in order to achieve these aims.”

 

Councillor McAndrew detailed the work already being done and the need to consider mitigation and adaptation.  He said East Herts had a significant role to play in maximising its contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, both in reducing its own carbon footprint, and in promoting and facilitating wider behaviour changes via leadership and policy changes.  He moved the amendment. 

 

Councillor D Andrews seconded the amendment. 

 

Councillor M Goldspink said she opposed the amendment.  The changes proposed undermined the purpose of the motion, by removing the word “emergency”.  She said it was important that the language was strong and determined, and she detailed her objections to the proposed changes.  She urged councillors to reject the amendments and support the original motion. 

 

Councillor B Deering said he supported the amendment.  In 2018/19 the task and finish group had produced a report, demonstrating that this Council had been addressing climate change issues, which should be acknowledged.  

 

Councillor L Corpe said he opposed the amendment.  The changes robbed the motion of its powers to give authority to act and to dedicate the necessary resources and staff.  In his view, no adequate reasons had been stated for removing the reference to an emergency. He questioned why if numerous councils including HCC and the government could declare an emergency, this Council found it impossible to do the same. 

 

Councillor D Snowdon said he supported the amendment.  Amongst other actions, the Council was instituting environmentally friendly measures such as new waste collection lorries and electric vehicle charging points. 

 

Councillor J Dumont said residents had urged him to ensure the Council acted on climate change.  He did not understand the reason why the Council should not debate a motion including the word “emergency”, when action was needed to stop an emergency. 

 

Councillor E Buckmaster said he had last week spoken at HCC, but actions spoke louder than words, and the amended motion stated what had been and would be done.  It was not letting the Council off the hook, as the Council was doing more than required by legislation in place-shaping, via master planning to achieve change.   The amendment went further than the original motion. 

 

Councillor M Stevenson agreed actions spoke louder than words, and said she was surprised no reference had been made to aspects such as ensuring insect populations did not decline.   

 

Councillor C Wilson spoke against the amendment, referring to the air quality in the District, particularly at Hockerill junction, the monitoring of which was the Council’s responsibility.  He acknowledged this Council had been addressing air quality in the area but there were still breaches.  Passing the original motion would concentrate minds.  The Council should require cycle and public transport provision from all new development, for instance in the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) proposals, for accessing the Hospital in Harlow. 

 

Councillor A Ward-Booth detailed the actions the Council had taken for reducing emissions. He cited the example of the Hertford Hydro project that will contribute energy to the National Grid. The Council was committed to promoting electric vehicle use through the electric car club, the installation of charging points and rapid chargers for taxis. He stated that a motion at Council could not bind developers. The Local Plan and supporting plan documents were the route to produce results, not grandstanding at a Council meeting.

 

Councillor T Beckett said the main amendment issue was with planning.  Members needed to work with Officers to strengthen environmental aspects of developments.  The amendment watered down the intention and would set a precedent that the Council would act only if possible. 

 

Councillor Haysey said all needed to take personal responsibility for sustainability.  She did not agree that the original motion would have accomplished more than the amendment in imposing requirements on developers. With regard to HGGT she would ensure building for communities included sustainable transport.  The Herts Infrastructure Planning Partnership met regularly to look at cross-Hertfordshire sustainability and as chairman of the Partnership she aimed to ensure a common approach.  She had visited the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) faculty in Watford in order to produce a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to examine sustainable aspects of planning.  The Council also needed to lobby Government, as indicated in the original motion, to ask for further powers.  Developers were listening, and knew the Council’s aims. 

 

Councillor D Andrews referred to the definition of “emergency”, which included “sudden and unexpected”; he preferred wording such as “crisis”.  There was a great deal of work the Council did already.  This Council could commit resources and take steps within its power.  He had seconded the amendment and he commended it to the Council.

 

Councillor J Frecknall spoke in objection to the amendment and said if this was a crisis then why not use that word? 

 

Councillor Bell as the proposer of the motion responded to the debate on the amendment.  She referred to Councillor Ward-Booth’s statement that the Council had reduced emissions but she believed that figure fell short of the targets, in which case it should invest more funds.  She had proposed the Council should do everything in its power in the District, and she opposed the amendment.  

 

Councillor McAndrew said he had sought from the minority Groups their ideal demands to be included in an SPD for developments and all Members should work together to achieve these aims. 

 

The Chairman read out the amendment to the motion, as detailed above. 

 

At the request of five Members, as per paragraph 18.5.1 of the Council’s Constitution, a recorded vote was taken, the result being:

 

FOR

 

Councillors Alder, Andrews, Bolton, Boylan, E Buckmaster, R Buckmaster, Bull, Burmicz, Crofton, Cutting, Deering, Devonshire, Drake, Fernando, Goodeve, Hall, Haysey, Huggins, Jones, Kemp, McAndrew, McMullen, Newton, Page, Pope, Ranger, Reed, Ruffles, Rutland-Barsby, Snowdon, Stevenson, Stowe, Symonds, Ward-Booth, Williamson and Wyllie. 

 

AGAINST

 

Councillors Beckett, Bell, Brady, Corpe, Dumont, Frecknall, Goldspink, Redfern and Wilson.

 

ABSTENTIONS

 

Councillor Kaye.

 

For:  36

Against:  9

Abstentions: 1

 

The amendment was therefore CARRIED and became the substantive motion.

 

The substantive motion being put to the meeting, and a vote taken, the substantive motion was declared CARRIED. 

 

RESOLVED – that Man-made climate change is the biggest threat that humanity faces.  In 2018 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stated that we have just 12 years to act on climate change if global temperatures rises are to be kept within the recommended 1.5 degrees celsius.

 

All governments whether national, regional or local have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate change and need to commit to aggressive reduction targets and carbon neutrality as quickly as possible.  East Herts District Council has a pivotal role to play in tackling climate change and enabling sustainable living. 

 

We recognise the importance of tackling climate change both in the terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimise future global climate change and planning for the unavoidable local impacts of climate change.

 

Therefore, East Herts District Council will: -

 

1)  Join with other Councils in recognising and declaring formally the necessity to do everything within the authority’s power to reduce its impact on the climate and moreover do everything we can in supporting the whole of East Herts District to become carbon neutral by 2030,

 

2)  Develop an ambitious sustainability strategy for reducing the Council’s own emissions, with an objective that the Council becomes carbon neutral by 2030,

 

3)  Work with national and regional partners to ensure that where at all possible we support climate friendly planning and building controlregulations and seek where possible to include the very best measures intothe Local Plan to minimise any negative impact on the environment,

 

4)  Call on National Government for more powers and resources to make this pledge possible, and ask the Council’s Leader to write to the Secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to this effect,

 

5)  Continue to work with partners across the District, County and Region to deliver this new goal, through all relevant strategies and plans,

 

6)  Take account of climate impacts within existing decision-making processes,

 

7)  Set up an Environmental and Climate Forum, in line with the recommendations from the Task and Finish Group which were approved by this Council on 5th March, 2019,

 

8)  The Environmental Forum to monitor progress regularly, and to report back,

 

9)  Commit to making available the appropriate training to members and officers to promote carbon neutral policies in order to achieve these aims.

 

Supporting documents: