Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance in writing or by email indicating the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case 11 March 2021). Enquiries can be made through the telephone number/email address below.
Minutes:
The Chairman reported that five members of the public had asked to speak. A summary of the key points from the participants was as follows:
Janice Bell
· The lack of reference to cycling in the agenda item ‘Highways Operations Update’ was striking given that the Council had secured funding for active travel, and Councillor Amos’s statements in the Worcester News about Sabrina bridge being part of plans to enhance walking and cycling routes throughout the county.
· Cycling was a mode of transport and not just a leisure pursuit, therefore should be considered alongside the other areas set out in the report
· Good provision for cycling would relieve congestion, reduce pollution and improve the population’s health
The Chairman referred to the Panel’s regular consideration of cycling, including the meeting of November 2020, which included several pages about new schemes, which demonstrated the Council’s commitment although he acknowledged the importance of taking a holistic view. A scheme in his own area had enabled children to cycle to school.
Dr Siani Morris
· The Agenda included information on how the Council supported businesses including the programme Clean Growth Worcestershire, however on the Council’s website the projects listed received funding from a European Growth Programme which had finished – clarification was sought on current measures to support businesses in Worcestershire to reduce their carbon footprint and support the Government’s target for reduction in carbon emissions this decade – the Chairman agreed this was a good question, which the Panel would ask during the meeting.
Isabelle Michel
· The Agenda included consideration of amendments to the work programme and the omission of climate change was astounding
· Considering the target for the UK to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the recent announcement by Boris Johnson of the Government’s target to reduce UK carbon emissions by 68% by 2030, and the likelihood of further extreme weather events, why was climate change not a standing item and given the priority it deserved?
The Chairman advised that the Panel’s Agenda in August 2020 had included the Council’s work and role in tackling climate change, and explained that the future work programme would be at the discretion of the new Panel after the county council elections in May 2021.
Chris Cooke
· During a previous Panel update, Cllr Kent had referred to a farmer being unable to install solar panels due to unsurmountable costs
· The Panel’s attention was drawn to the Local Electricity Bill, currently supported by 254 MPs (cross-party) and 65 County Councils and Local Authorities, which was now making its way through Parliament. The Bill enabled the local supply of electricity by empowering communities to sell local renewable energy directly to local households and businesses - County councillors were urged to support the bill and to lobby local MPs
The Chairman spoke in support of the Bill and asked for the web-link to be circulated to the Panel.
Dr Johnny Birks
· The Agenda included consideration of amendments to the work programme, and it was queried why dates of further updates were not listed against ‘The Council’s Work and Role in Tackling Climate Change including monitoring progress against the new goal of being carbon neutral by 2050’, as was the case for other topics.
· Given that the work programme agenda item stated the need to retain the flexibility to take into account any urgent issues, did the Panel not agree that climate change was an urgent issue, which merited frequent review, as highlighted by Sir David Attenborough at the recent UN Security Council?
· Would the Panel accept that progress on climate change targets in this county would be much more effective if the Council joined the majority of UK Local Authorities in declaring a climate emergency?
The Chairman advised that this topic was a standing item on the Panel’s work programme, and that scheduling of future updates would be up to the new Panel after the county council elections in May 2021.
David Whiting
· At its meeting of 4 August 2020 this Panel stated that "Council reports are now required to include information on the environmental impact of all proposed projects. The completion of a JIA (Joint Impact Assessment), and any consequent full impact assessment for environmental sustainability, is required for all proposed projects. This includes assessment of carbon emissions”.
· The Highways Operations Update agenda report regarding carriageways stated that “In order to get best value from structural maintenance funding, schemes are prioritised using a number of factors but including road condition data, defect data (number of pothole repairs), engineer site assessments as well as cost/benefit analysis” – the lack of reference to environmental sustainability in carriageways or of a Joint Impact Assessment was therefore queried;
· Was the Council taking a narrow view of what constituted a “proposed Project” so that it excluded new and ongoing maintenance work? If so, how did it believe it could help meet the Government’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which recognised that much of this reduction must happen before 2030, when, under current planning, significant falls in the Council's projected carbon emissions would not be seen until 2039/40?
· What was the Council's strategy for resolving the disparity between the major changes required before 2030 and projections that carbon emissions would not fall significantly before 2039/40?
· What criteria would be used to assess the environmental impact of new projects; how would competing environmental risks be dealt with, and what weight given to factors measured against social and economic factors to ensure that much of the carbon reduction occurred before 2030?
The Chairman referred to the Panel’s January 2020 discussion with the Council’s highway maintenance contractor (Ringway), which had included environmental initiatives, and the fact that Worcestershire was one of a few areas using warm (instead of hot) asphalt, which used less energy. The Directorate of Economy and Infrastructure would be asked to provide a response to the participant’s questions.