Issue - meetings

Report attached.

In accordance with paragraph 17 of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee Rules, a requisition signed by six Members representing more than one Group (Councillors Carol Beth, Keith Darvill, Linda Van den Hende, Paul McGeary, Ray Morgon, and Graham Williamson) had called-in the Key Executive (Cabinet) Decision dated 10 November 2021.

The Climate Change Action Plan covering report and the Climate Change Action Plan were built upon previous plans and set out the next strategic stage in tackling climate change in Havering.

The report was bold and included ambitious actions and targets, which would be based on emissions evidence and best practice. The action plan contained clear actions and milestones which would continue to lead to improvements across the Council’s services.

The action plan was constructed to enable an annual review which would allow changes in circumstances and evolving regional and national plans to be incorporated into the strategic target for the Council and Borough to be Carbon Neutral by 2040, ten years ahead of the national goal of 2050.

Representatives of Extinction Rebellion, Havering Cyclists, Friends of the Earth, and Havering Quakers all spoke to the call-in and stated various concerns. They provided various comments including the following:

·         the language used was passive instead of active and did not match up to the urgent action that was required;

·         walking structure resources, infrastructure, low emission neighbourhoods, car club providers, school streets with restrictions, or e-cargo bike hires were not mentioned in the plan;

·         the report required more detail as other London Boroughs have done more work and the public needed to be involved;

·         the report should have been broken down into targets, as it is too vague, lacks transparency and the targets cannot be qualified or quantified.

The Corporate Projects Manager responded to the groups’ concerns and made the following comments:

·         ways in which progress would be monitored was addressed on page 63  of the Agenda Pack;

·         the walking and cycling strategy was on page 93 of the Agenda Pack;

·         a feasibility study was included on Page 96;

·         it was not accepted that the language used  lacked urgency;

·         the annual report could be updated and a more detailed action plan existed in other documents;

·         the public needed to be involved and made the focus of the plan and the Council had a well-developed network of voluntary groups to assist with this.

It was agreed that any further questions which were not answered at the meeting would be referred to relevant officers, work stream Leads and/or Heads of Service for response.

Furthermore, it was agreed that the representatives of the groups attending the meeting would be invited to a meeting of the Environment and Climate Change Topic Group where more detailed discussions could take place.

The Leader agreed it was important to get the right approach for Havering and that Climate change was a fast and evolving situation that would benefit from the Overview and Scrutiny process.

The responses to the requisition grounds by officers were contained in the Supplementary Agenda.

A Member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33

NOTE: The deadline for amendments to all reports published with the Council agenda is Monday 15 November 2021.

Report attached (subject to consideration by Cabinet).

Amendment by Independent Residents’ Group NOT AGREED by 28 votes to 9 with 12 abstentions; deemed motion on behalf of Administration AGREED by 28 votes to 14 with 8 abstentions.

A report of Cabinet presented for endorsement by Council the Climate Change Action Plan. This signalled a commitment by the Council to tackle climate change, influence decisions and bring together existing environmental policies.

Deemed motion by the Administration

That the report be adopted and its recommendations carried into effect.

Amendment on behalf of the Independent Residents’ Group

Following debate, the amendment by the Independent Residents’ Group was NOT AGREED by 28 votes to 9 with 13 abstentions (see division 2); the deemed motion on behalf of the Administration was AGREED by 28 votes to 14 with 8 abstentions (see division 3). It was RESOLVED:

That Council endorse the content of the report and associated action plans.

Cabinet:

1.     Noted the work already being undertaken to address Climate Change both within the Council and the local community

2.     Approved the establishment of two permanent posts to support the ongoing work of the Climate Change Action Plan

3.     Committed to Havering Council being an organisation becoming carbon neutral by 2040 or sooner

4.     Agreed that Cabinet receive a report every six months setting out the progress of the implementation and the impact of the Havering Climate Change Action Plan 

5.     Approved the themed action plans set out in Appendix A

6.     Agreed that officers publish emissions data for both the Council as an organisation and for the borough on an annual basis

7.     Agreed that officers design a carbon zero route map for the Council as an organisation

8.     Agreed that officers develop a branding for the Climate Change Action Plan and incorporate this in a Communications Plan for the wider community

9.     Agreed to adopt the principles of the Amazon Climate Pledge. 

These are:

A.         Regular reporting - Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis

B.         Carbon elimination - Implement decarbonisation strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies

C.        Credible offsets - Neutralise any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially-beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040

10.   To recommend to Full Council that it endorses the content of the report and associated action plans.

Cabinet considered a report on the Havering Climate Change Action Plan.

It was explained that Havering Council had resolved to review its policies to ensure that Havering leads the way on environmental protection and climate change. Establishing the Havering Climate Change Action Plan signaled a commitment by the Council to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19