Agenda item

To consider a report by the Interim Climate Change Programme Manager (copy attached) which seeks the Committee’s views on the Council’s Draft Climate & Ecological Change Strategy 2021/22 – 2029/30 following the year 3 review and refresh of the Strategy.

11.45am – 12.15pm

In the absence of the Lead Member for Environment and Transport the Head of Corporate Support Service - Performance, Digital & Assets, and Climate Change Project Manager presented the report and reviewed draft strategy (previously circulated).

The Strategy required to be reviewed every three years, and this was the first review. Appendix 2 to the report detailed the initial findings of the public consultation on the draft document, whilst Appendix 3 listed the proposed amendments which would be made to the strategy following the consultation. The Head Service advised that the Council was making good progress in implementing and delivering the Strategy, but due to the pace of change and budget pressures they could not guarantee that the Authority would achieve its ultimate ambition by 2030.

Responding to members’ questions the Head of Service and Climate Change Project Manager advised that: 

• The Council had 85 Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Points available, most of which had two sockets.  45 of these points were located near Council buildings, 40 were available to the public in Council owned car parks (18 of which were located on West Kimmel Street car park in Rhyl). 12 points were currently being commissioned. The location of the nearest EV charging points could be viewed online.
• the Council does not currently provide charging points in its housing stock, mainly as the majority do not have driveways. Where driveways existed, some tenants had made their own arrangements to install EV charging points.  However, the Council would continue to look at funding arrangements for installing more EV points on Council owned land and Council housing stock in future.
• the income generated from the use of EV charging ports was invested in maintaining the systems.  Whilst the Council was not running at a loss by installing these ports it was not permitted to realise a profit-making from the service.
• They would be willing to discuss with individual councillors outside of the meeting various grant opportunities which may be available for public or local organisations to apply for the installation of EV charging points and other energy saving measures etc. particularly in rural areas.  The team had a good track record at securing external funding and would continue to do so for priority areas within the Strategy.
• The council doesn’t need to deliver everything itself that is in the Strategy, its about using our influence for partners and public to contribute too. Also about prioritising our efforts and actions.  Officers were looking to have projects ready as and when grant monies became available.
• the review itself did not have cost implications as the costs were staff time.  Some funding had been spend on an independent facilitator for the external public consultation.
• in order to achieve net zero by 2030, financial implications were estimated at at least £48million over the six years, a lot of which could be funded through external grants.
• affordability was the main risk associated with the Strategy, then officer resources.  Officers were now prioritising projects where they were likely to be able to source external money for projects that would make the biggest difference.

Members suggested that it may be good practice in future for planning permission for new builds to stipulate the need to install EV charging points as part of the planning criteria during the planning application process.  Members discussed whether possibility of utilising the new financial management system for tracking carbon emissions data for the Council.

Following a comprehensive discussion, the Committee:

Resolved:  subject to the above feedback and observations, to acknowledge the work undertaken to develop the Year 3 reviewed and refreshed Climate and Ecological Change Strategy, and in doing so –

(i)   support its aims and ambitions and recommend to Cabinet that it seek County Council to adopt and implement the revised Strategy;

(ii)  determined that the Council’s progress in delivering the revised Strategy be monitored by the Committee on an annual basis from autumn 2025 onwards; and

(iii)  as part of its consideration, it had read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 4).