Agenda item

To receive the Climate Crisis Action Plan progress report.

Councillor Pepper presented the report. She recommended that Members note progress on the implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan set out in paragraphs 15 to 16 and contained within appendix one.

She extended her thanks to the outgoing Climate Officer.

She reported that the Council has received the following Government funding:

• £1,268,000 from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for energy efficiency grants for low income household owners
• £517,000 to deliver a novel market town clean air initiative in Saffron Walden. This would potentially be a model to be rolled out to the rest of the district and be the exemplar for the rest of the country.

She provided details of the successful Littlebury Energy Awareness Day which was held 23 April 2022. The pilot project between Uttlesford District Council, Essex County Council, Littlebury Parish Council, Saffron Walden Community Energy and UKPE was underway to engage and inform Littlebury residents on insulation and other measures to prepare for the transition to decarbonisation. The learnings from this project would inform a rollout at a scale throughout the district.

She reassured Members that she continued to focus on how to achieve the best return on investments on their Climate Change Projects.

They continued to focus potential projects on the three areas:

• Emissions from transport
• Emissions from domestic energy
• Preserving and enhancing bio-diversity

Members discussed the adequacy of the resources available for the portfolio holder and the need to deliver more, and in a timely manner. They raised the need for additional Officer support and questioned whether other Councils were making more measurable progress.

Councillor Pepper said the following in response:

• The first round of funding resulted in a good number of grant referrals. Members have been asked to continue to advertise the grants
• The Principal Transport and Infrastructure Officer was investigating the provision of mobility hubs at a number of local stations.
• Ninety council owned properties had heat pumps installed
• Eighty council owned properties had oil boilers replaced
• Oil boilers had been upgraded at two of the council owned leisure centres
• Two hundred and eighty council owned properties had external wall insulation installed
• Solar panels had been installed on three hundred council owned properties
• Solar arrays installed at the Bowls Club and the Shire Hill waste depot.
• Unfortunately a solar array could not be installed at the London Road offices due to its listed building status and the orientation of the building
• Solar panels would be fitted at the Little Canfield site, alongside a water recycling vehicle cleaning system
• Cycle racks have been installed at Great Dunmow, Saffron Walden and Audley End Station
• Thirty two electric vehicle chargers have been installed, including eight at the London Road Council offices
• There were 562 responses to the bio-diversity mapping survey
• Rewilding of green verges had been undertaken throughout the summer months
• Green champions had been promoted across the district
• Sixteen new dual recycling bins have been installed
• Recycling guidance had been posted on their social media channels
• Food waste reduction was under review
• Their new interactive website would soon be launched

Councilllor Sell raised concerns that only £80,500 of the £1,900,00 budget had been spent and asked Councillor Pepper whether sufficient resources had been made available to enable her to do her job.

The Chair noted the apparent disconnect between Councillor Pepper`s list of work undertaken and budget spent.

Councillor Pepper acknowledged the need for the Climate Change budget to be expediently spent, balanced against the need to see the full picture to make prudent financial decisions and consider all options.

She confirmed that they were looking to employ two Climate Change Officers and an Ecology Officer to reflect the scale of the works to be undertaken to achieve their objectives.

Councillor Isham suggested the introduction of a thermometer on the side of the Council Offices to visually demonstrate the Council`s CO2 reductions achievement to the public.

Councillor Pepper agreed to look into the suggested thermometer and highlighted several external issues impacting the emissions figures that were outside the Council`s control, including Stansted Airport, the motorway and the majority of on-street lighting. She confirmed that the district was last on Essex County Council`s scheme to upgrade to LED lighting.

Councillor Isham suggested that it would be helpful to also highlight that information to residents to help them understand the bigger picture and areas of responsibility.

Councillor LeCount commended the new housing report. He asked whether it was possible to implement a policy which commits developers of all new properties to provide solar panels, water butts, heat pumps or to be heat pump ready.

Councillor Pepper confirmed that it would form part of the emerging Local Plan and that The Future Homes Standard that demanded 80% net carbon reduction would not be in place until 2025. She hoped that the Council would push to achieve that much earlier.

Councillor Driscoll asked the Assistant Director of Environmental Services what the cost would be to decarbonise the Council`s fleet.

The Assistant Director of Environmental Services confirmed that there were currently no directly comparable vehicles on the market that were electrically supplied, although an electric dustcart (£400,000) was approximately double the price of a diesel twenty six tonne dustcart (£190,000). He was investigating other options relating to conversion.

Councillor Pepper said that the Climate Change Commission supported end of life, so vehicle replacement would have to wait until their expiration, meanwhile all possible avenues were being explored.

The Leader noted that Councillor Pepper was the first environmentalist Cabinet Member at the Council and acknowledged that the staffing levels may not have been initially correct in the new territory. Nonetheless, the new post, Administration, Chief Executive and Assistant Director of Environmental Services have worked tirelessly to support and move forward to fulfill the required levels to enable Councillor Pepper to continue with the next administration with the appropriate staff in place.

In response to a question from Councillor Sell, the Assistant Director of Environmental Services confirmed that the currently recycling rate was 51%, similar to four years. He explained that this was an improvement due to changes in habits such as significantly reduced physical newspaper purchases and the production of wine bottles made from thinner glass.

He said that the collection of further recycling could impact environmental performance due to the need to purchase additional vehicles to facilitate it.

Councillor Pepper said that she had been investigating what could be done to improve recycling and suggested school visits and pop-up stands on market days. She also expressed the desire to look at how business recycling could be improved.

The Assistant Director of Environmental Services detailed a County strategy process currently underway where the District, Boroughs and City Councils are looking at the waste management infrastructure available to Councils in Essex. It would review resetting targets and support structures to ensure the best environmental performance could be achieved.

Councillor Luck asked whether Parish Councils support the District Council and put forward green champions, how many green champions there are and whether the necessary resources were available for them.

Councillor Pepper said that she provides a monthly report for the Town and Parish Councils to enable them to have ideas and solutions. The website that was soon to be launched would be another source of information. She suggested also creating a press release.

Councillor Luck asked whether there was man power available to go into schools to recruit young people to this cause.

The Assistant Director of Environmental Services confirmed that the Waste and Recycling Officer would fulfil this role, which was not undertaken during Covid, but was currently being reinvigorated with schools.

The Chair asked how much of the £1,800,000 external funding had been spent. Councillor Pepper resolved to find out and report back.

The Chair asked Councillor Pepper to provide a report demonstrating where funding had been spent and on what.

The Committee agreed that it was an impressive report, although further work needed to be undertaken, and agreed to commend to Cabinet.

RESOLVED: That the report be remitted to Cabinet.