Decision details

Councillor Edwards declared a personal interest in this item as an employee of Stagecoach Devon.

The report of the Director Economy and Development was submitted, introducing four reports which outlined the challenges facing the City in reducing carbon emissions over the next two decades and beyond. The report summarised a set of actions for the short and medium term which were proposed for adoption.

Scrutiny Committee – Economy considered the report at their meeting of 21 January 2010 and their comments and general support were noted.

The Director Economy and Development introduced the report identifying the main challenges and the catastrophic consequences of global warming, including unstable weather patterns, rising sea levels and significant loss of species.  

Councillor Martin attended the meeting and spoke on this item under Standing Order 44. He welcomed the visionary nature of the papers and emphasised the Council’s responsibility to plan a City for future generations.  He outlined his vision of a pleasant pedestrianised City Centre with additional public spaces and an efficient high-tech public transport system. He referred to a letter from the Exeter Vision 20:20 Group who were keen to participate in the development of ideas.

Executive members welcomed the visionary nature of the documents and the opportunity to open the debate on the Council’s contribution to a low-carbon Exeter.  Members commented on individual elements of the papers but acknowledged that the radical nature of some proposals required serious and detailed debate and hoped that there would be plenty of opportunity for Members to do so,  including regular progress reports and possibly a Member briefing. They spoke of the various “carrot” and “stick” methods of controlling car use and the need for a reliable, integrated and affordable public transport system to provide a real alternative. They discussed the consequences of traffic control systems and referred to the debate on payment for workplace parking.  Whilst supporting increased pedestrianisation, members drew attention to the access needs of less mobile people. They regretted that “public” transport had been privatised and was not under local authority control.

In response to a query regarding the mechanism for imposing a workplace parking levy, the Director Economy and Development reported that the legislation was in place to do so but there was a set procedure which required public consultation and Government approval. One member expressed concern about the potential impact on businesses if this were to be implemented. Other members commented that the Council should not start with a presumption that businesses would be against such proposals and many employers would recognise the wider environmental benefits of such a tax.

Members welcomed the proposals with regard to energy efficient homes and radical building design. They felt the Council should keep an open mind and explore all possibilities for low carbon living. A number of members commented that whilst they supported the strategy and measures proposed by the Turner Committee in relation to building and transport, they did not support proposals for generating nuclear power.

The Director Economy and Development undertook to bring forward a planned timetable for further consideration of the proposals. He urged Councillors to take a long-term view of the City’s needs with an incremental approach to implementation  and not rule anything out at this stage.

The Chair welcomed the vision for the future of the City and thanked the Director for bringing forward the comprehensive papers.  He referred to the significant environmental and economic pressures facing the city and the country and the need to consider all options with an open mind. He noted that many of the proposals were already underway and cited the Cranbrook development as a model for sustainable energy provision and energy efficient housing. He looked forward to working with a wide range of interest groups to develop the proposals. 

Executive recommended that the actions set out in the following minutes be approved.