Agenda item

The Policy Manager submits a report to consult the Committee on the Council’s new draft Climate Strategy and Action Plan.

Recommended                     -   That the Community & Wellbeing Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s comments and recommendations be noted and action taken, as required.

The Policy Manager submitted a report to consult the Committee on the draft Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and sought comment from Committee.  He also gave a presentation to update Committee on Hyndburn wide CO2 emissions and the Council’s transition to Carbon Net Zero.  He provided details of:

·         The background to the Council’s climate change initiatives, starting with the Green Agenda in 2018, which had resulted in the Council declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019.

·         The importance of limiting global warming to 1.5c or staying well below 2c to try to achieve pre-industrial levels and to achieve a 7.6% annual reduction in carbon emissions that would be required to achieve net zero targets.

·         The focus of the Strategy in showing the achievements to date, emissions of Council activity and Hyndburn wide, carbon reduction pathway, natural solutions, partnership work and the Action Plan.

·         HBC Carbon footprint and a levelling off in the trajectory in achieving a reduction of carbon emissions in recent years.

·         The continuation of LCC aiming to reduce transport emissions through the promotion of using electric vehicles by installing charging points across the borough.

·      The work of the Council in decarbonising its public buildings and action it has taken to reduce carbon emissions such as changing fuel used by its vehicles to hydro-treated veg oil and procuring green renewable energy when possible. 

·      The importance of offsetting the harmful effect of climate change through work to develop areas of biodiversity and planting trees.  Tree coverage in the UK was the lowest in Europe.

·         The work of the Net Zero Working Group and the focus of their work.

The Policy Manager also informed the Committee that Hyndburn Council had set aside a £1m climate reserve pot to help to achieve Hyndburn’s target to make the Council’s activities net zero carbon by 2030 which clearly demonstrated the Council’s determination to tackle global warming.  The Council had used this funding in various ways including:

-          The appointment of two Officers – a Home Energy Reduction Officer and a Natural Spaces Project Officer over a 3-year period. 

-          The acquisition of Bury Meadows with initial improvements and planned works.

-          The natural solutions programmes delivered by external organisations over 3 years

-          Installation of solar panels to improve energy efficiency at the Market Hall.

This budget had substantially been allocated and required further funding to achieve any future progression, particularly if the net zero targets were to be achieved.

He explained that to help provide direction with the transition to net zero and after the Council’s recent Corporate Peer Challenge, an action plan had been created to provide further guidance in the following areas:

-          Reduction of fuel poverty

-          Making the Council’s activities and operations net zero by 2030

-          Removal of fossil fuel from Council-owned assets, focusing on the highest emitters and buildings at risk

-          Enhancing green open spaces and the natural environment

-          Increasing housing growth

-          Increasing employment and business growth.

Members of the Committee were invited to ask questions and raised the following issues:

·         Who would work with local businesses/companies to encourage working towards net zero?

·         How could there be greater awareness and access to grants for home energy efficiency improvements and to increase public confidence in choosing a genuine company. 

·         How Hyndburn’s housing stock contributed to climate change.

·         The number of empty properties and dereliction around Accrington town centre being a contributor to climate change and how a change in street scene, increasing ecology, could help to offset carbon emissions.

Ian Marfleet advised the Committee that, since 2024, all businesses had to submit an onsite biodiversity net gain or pay off site biodiversity net gain.  He also pointed out that the Council had contracts with third parties to plant trees in the borough and that work was ongoing with private farmers to improve their lands for sustainable farming.  These action types all required support from the Council.

Resolved                           (1)  That the Committee be provided with an update on the Council’s strategy for dealing with empty business properties;

                                          (2)  That Cabinet be requested to give consideration to extending the Council’s Climate fund in order to facilitate the Council’s ability to achieve its net zero targets;

                                          (3) That the Head of Regeneration and Housing be requested to give consideration to carrying out a stock condition survey of housing in the borough to provide clarity in understanding the level of work required to achieve its net zero targets.