Agenda item

The Portfolio Holder for Climate & the Environment was in attendance to report on specific areas within his portfolio.  The Portfolio Holder addressed 6 questions which had been submitted to him prior to the meeting:

1.      To what extent is the Climate Change Action Plan reaching and succeeding in its goals and milestones?”;

Councillor Forde listed a number of projects the Council had undertaken to achieve the goals in the Climate Change Action Plan, including solar panels on Council owned properties across multiple sites, air source heat pumps at Blidworth Leisure Centre, electric vehicles and electric gardening equipment.

2.      What do you see as priorities for next year as we move into the budget setting process?;

Councillor Forde stated that the priority areas were bin collections and green spaces. With regard to bin collections, he felt that the service was working very well in general. Work would soon begin on identifying areas of the District which would benefit from increased green spaces and play areas. Funding would be sought for this, as well as £10k for environmental education. It was also noted that a report due to be taken to Cabinet on 14 October sought approval for biodiverse greening of the entrances to communities throughout the District.

Members noted that income from kerbside glass collection was higher than anticipated, and the uptake of the garden waste recycling service had been extremely popular.

3.      Are we on track for the rollout of domestic food waste collections from 2027?;

The requisite building works on Brunel Drive had received permission and were progressing on time and within budget. It was proposed to undertake a pilot scheme, one group with biodegradable liners for the bins and another without, to see which was most popular with residents.

4.      Biodiversity and tree planting is a key strand of the Council’s Community Plan – how are we delivering?;

Over 20 thousand trees had been planted since 2020/21. A report had been commissioned to investigate the impact of the drought over summer on saplings. Biodiverse green planting at the entrance to communities was to be considered by the Cabinet, and it was hoped that five communities per year could be included in the scheme if approved. The Council also undertook ‘no mow May’ where possible and was open to extending the initiative.

5.      Reducing the Council’s carbon footprint is a key objective of the Council.  How is the Council progressing to this goal?;

Councillor Forde explained that the Council had already reduced the carbon footprint by one quarter of the ten year target set by the Carbon Trust. Further work would be undertaken where possible, but noting the move to LGR in 2028, he felt that it would be up to the new Authority to pursue.

6.      What opportunities exists as a result of LGR?

Councillor Forde believed that LGR could potentially reduce the split of responsibilities across different authorities, and may be beneficial for co-ordinated public transport across the area. He also suggested that local area sub-structures would be required.

The Committee then addressed a number of questions to Councillor Forde.

In response, the Portfolio Holder explained that one of his biggest concerns was the Open Space Strategy which was commissioned but not always implemented. The budgeting process could be used and Members could keep a focus on areas which were of most value to residents of the District. The Portfolio Holder also looked for opportunities to generate income to off-set costs. Legacy spending on play areas and green space would be part of the capital spending.

There were a number of questions put to the Portfolio Holder where he agreed to provide a written reply to the Committee. These were:

From Councillor Haynes - what is the risks of increasing CO2 through the move to LGR? - particularly in relation to possible increase of CO2 because of increased travel for officers having to work at alternative sites.

From Councillor Haynes - looking for detail on the ‘practicalities’ of the food waste bin trials- e.g. how will people be given/use the biodegradable liners?

From Councillor Rainbow- is there a charge for glass collection from businesses?

From Councillor Roberts- what will the £10k for environmental education cover? –

Councillor Forde said would get back as he was wating further detail from an officer but that it would also include what goes in which bins.

From Councillor Holloway – background- over consumption of goods drives climate damage- accelerating demand for natural resources, increasing fossil fuel consumption for production and transportation, generating massive amounts of waste.  This Cycle leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions including potent gases like methane from landfills and carbon dioxide from deforestation and waste. The environmental impact spans resource depletion, pollution from plastics and textiles, and habitat destruction. Question- From Councillor Holloway – What is the council doing to try and reduce its own consumption of goods and to look at ways to try to change how things are done to reduce the environmental impact of our choices?