Agenda item

To consider the report of the Head of Environmental Health Services – report circulated. 

The Director Community and Environment presented the report setting out a draft Climate Change Strategy for Exeter.

Councillor D.J. Morrish attended the meeting and spoke on this item having given notice under Standing Order No. 44. He had submitted the following Notice of Motion to Council on 20 February 2007 which had been referred to this Committee:-

"That this Council accepts its responsibilities for meeting the challenge posed to our society by the impact of Climate Change and therefore resolves that:-

        (1)  the Executive and Scrutiny Committees give urgent consideration to the appointment of a Climate Change officer who will occupy a senior position and have overall responsibility for Climate Change Policy; and

(2)   the Climate Change officer will:-

(a)            in co-operation with other Council officers be responsible for advising Members on the policies, both international and national, which are already in place and this Council's expected and necessary response;

(b)            advise Members on the targets we need to achieve and monitor our  performance; and

                     (c)            report to each regular meeting of the Executive and submit an annual report to Members.”

He felt that climate change presented serious and urgent challenges and expressed regret that the problems now being faced had not been taken more seriously in the past which he felt had been due to the lack of public appreciation of the scale and nature of the developing problems and the absence of any single responsible body.

He believed that the steps set out in the report did not offer sufficient urgency. For example, the proposal to undertake a review of the strategy should be undertaken much sooner than the ten years proposed. He felt that allocating duties relating to climate change to a range of officers rather than appointing a Climate Change Officer was the wrong approach and he asked that consideration of appointing a dedicated officer should be revisited in 12 months time. He also felt that an item on climate change should be included on the agenda for every meeting of Executive. These views would be reported to the next meeting of Executive.

Another Member also thought that the proposal to review the strategy in 10 years time was too long and questioned the proposal to spread the work on this issue amongst a number of officers. Another Member felt than an individual champion on climate change issues was an appropriate way forward. A further Member felt that employing a dedicated climate change officer might be an inappropriate use of resources at this stage.

The Director reported that she would be undertaking the co-ordination of work of the various officers who would be working on Climate Change matters and that a spread between different individuals was appropriate at this stage particularly given the different areas of expertise available across the Council. For example, some climate change issues could be related to the planning function where appropriate controls were available. The Strategy Action Plan would be reviewed annually. The allocated sum of £25,000 would be utilised to buy in expertise and use would be made of the University in this respect. She confirmed that the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Leisure would be the Council champion on this issue.

Other Members referred to traffic congestion which, notwithstanding climate change, also contributed to health problems in the City. A Member suggested that further measures were necessary to reduce reliance on car usage and that part of the problem was the high bus fares in the City. It was noted that transport related matters fell within the remit of Scrutiny Committee - Economy.

A Member proposed that a Working Group be set up to examine the feasibility of appointing a Climate Change Officer for a further report to be made to this Committee on the financial implications.

The Scrutiny Committee - Community supported the report and requested Executive to:-

(1)   approve the draft Climate Change Strategy, including the target for carbon reduction;

(2)   agree a supplementary budget of £25,000 to fund the work set out in the report;

(3)   after consultation on the draft strategy, to consider the final strategy and action plan in January 2008;

(4)   ensure that the general progress towards meeting the aims of the Strategy be monitored on an annual basis and reported to this Committee;

(5)   ensure a commitment being made to undertaking a full review of the Strategy in 10 year’s time;

(6)   request Council to sign up to Fair Shares Fair Choice; and

(7)  agree to the establishment of a Working Group to consider the appointment of a Climate Change Officer.

(Report circulated)