To receive a presentation from the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change
Minutes:
The Committee received and NOTED a presentation from the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate change.
The Cabinet Member gave an overview of what Climate Change does to Mid Devon and what we could do to address the issue. There were many targets to address in working towards the Net Zero target for 2030 and there were five years to go. The Portfolio was about both Climate Change and the Environment together, the Council needed to generate more power, to cut carbon and to show leadership.
The Cabinet Member also highlighted:
· Mid Devon district had a carbon footprint of just over one million tons of carbon equivalent per year.
· There were key climate risks to; our landscape and communities, particularly flood risk, health, food systems, soil, wildlife, energy and other supplies.
· We need to adapt as well as make efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.
· Many of the Council’s residents were Climate conscious.
· The District needed to attract funding.
· Climate Emergency Interim Planning Policy Statement.
· The Challenge to balance the Climate need with the need for more homes.
· Enable more people to act.
· Enable investment.
· Strategic Partnerships to drive things like greener transport.
· Policy e.g. working across the Council on our Biodiversity duty action plan.
· Decarbonising Homes.
· Decarbonised Leisure Centres (Net Zero at Exe Valley).
· Recycling rates were good (avoiding tonnes of carbon).
· The Net Zero Advisory Group.
· A strategic approach to cutting carbon was needed.
The Cabinet Member said the good news was that the Council’s carbon footprint was going down, however, fifty percent of it was in social housing and so retro-fitting of insulation was really important. The Climate was a risk rated as red in reporting terms and she wanted to see that reduced to amber within the next six to twelve months.
Discussion took place with regard to:
· To what extent was the Council able to consider the Climate Emergency Statement when looking at the carbon implications of new development applications? Primarily, Energy efficiency, Energy usage and Carbon Emissions were dealt with through the Building Regulations.
· Were we allowed to require energy efficiency standards in planning applications? In planning applications, it appeared that developers were not providing data on what the carbon emissions would be as a result of the development. The Director of Place and Economy stated that there was no statutory requirement and the Council could not demand it – he would check his understanding and revert back to the Committee.
· Developers were provided with a free calculator tool to enable them to assess the most cost-effective ways to achieve low / zero carbon homes.
· The Local Plan Review was helping to shape policies.
· The Development Control Department were encouraging developers to do the right thing rather than enforcement as Climate Change was not a planning consideration under the current National Planning Policy Framework.
· The Climate Strategy and Action Plan included an action road map to 2030.
· With regard to the sewage outflow at the end of the proposed Cullompton Relief Road into the River Culm, the Council had met with South West Water and were awaiting the Water Cycle Report.
· The majority of works toward Net Zero had been paid for out of grant funding.
· There was a challenge to mitigate the impact of new housebuilding on the environment.
· The Council were working closer with Town and Parish Councils.
· Good planning and thinking on a landscape scale, how the Council could help the community to be responsive.
The Cabinet Member in concluding said that she was keen to mobilise faster change. Internally she had seen examples around the Council where they needed to work across teams better. Externally she was keen that we set up a Climate Forum.