Contact your Parish Council


Issue - meetings

Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan Update and Cost for Achieving Net Zero 2030

Meeting: 11/07/2023 - Housing, Health and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (Item 29)

29 Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan Update and Cost for Achieving Net Zero 2030 pdf icon PDF 229 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Environmental Services introduced the report, which provided an update on the progress and implementation of the Council’s Biodiversity and Climate Change Action plan (the plan), and the estimated costs for achieving net zero emissions for the Council’s operations by 2030. The plan’s actions that related to the Committee’s terms of reference were outlined. 

 

During the discussion, concern was expressed on how much progress had been made since the last update on the plan was provided, including to mitigation measures and tree planting. It was requested that indicative statistics on the actions’ progress be included in future updates to demonstrate the progress of each action.

 

In response, the Biodiversity and Climate Change Manager confirmed that as the Council had allocated funding within its Capital Strategy for the de-carbonisation of its properties, it was eligible for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, allowing the Council to potentially receive up to two thirds of the cost of decarbonising its properties. The report outlined the mitigating actions being taken, with further information on Housing Energy Performance Certificates and the allocation of funding across the plan to be provided outside of the meeting. 

 

In response to questions, the Cabinet Member for Environmental Services confirmed that there were enough resources available to achieve the outcomes set out in the plan, with a significant amount of time being spent in preparing for and developing the actions prior to implementation; an example of the ongoing work with The Mall’s waste contractors to provide recycling facilities was given.

 

The Committee’s comments would be shared with the Cabinet ahead of its consideration of the report.

 

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to the Cabinet: That the action plan implementation updates and indicative costs of achieving net zero by 2030 for the Council’s operations be noted. 

 


Meeting: 04/07/2023 - Communities, Leisure and Arts Policy Advisory Committee (Item 27)

27 Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan Update and Estimated Costs for Achieving Net Zero 2030 pdf icon PDF 229 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Russell, the Cabinet Member for Communities, Leisure and Arts, introduced the biannual report on the implementation of the Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan following the annual review of the Action Plan agreed by the Executive in April 2023.

 

The Cabinet Member explained that one action relating to the terms of reference of the Committee - 6.6 (Work with local farms and landowners to deliver landscape scale biodiversity initiatives Nature Recovery Strategy, including reconnection of habitats, flood plain restoration, reduced chemical inputs and reintroduction of lost native species) had yet to commence as delivery relied very heavily on partnership working with farmers and landowners.

 

In response to questions, the Cabinet Member/Officers explained that:

 

·  In terms of the actions aimed at encouraging a move to electric taxis, the location of additional rapid charge points had not yet been determined.  The terms of reference of this Policy Advisory Committee covered the communications element of working with the taxi trade to facilitate the move to electric vehicles.

·  With regard to the action aimed at increasing the Borough canopy, the terms of reference of this Policy Advisory Committee covered communications and partnership working to deliver tree planting and rewilding projects.  The Officers had been in discussion with the Woodland Trust regarding the cost effectiveness of tree planting schemes and the carbon sequestration and would promote the Woodland Trust tree planting scheme as much as possible.

·  The majority of the funding for decarbonising the Council’s buildings would come from applications to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.  Priority would be given to buildings where the biggest cuts in emissions could be achieved, or which had the oldest heating systems, and this would inform decisions going forward.  Maidstone House was a priority because its heating system was coming to the end of its life.  There was an opportunity to apply for Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding this Autumn.  In terms of the Leisure Centre, consideration would be given to the reduction in carbon emissions achieved as a result of the improvement works already planned and funded when prioritising projects.

·  The current Green Fleet Strategy which was to gradually transition vehicles to EV based on the market and operational need was considered to be a better approach than converting the entire fleet to electric in the medium-term.  Waiting for other emerging technologies for the fleet transition such as hydrogen and other fuel types particularly for heavier vehicles was likely to save costs in the medium term.

·  Investment in maximising the solar energy generation on Council property was considered to be good medium-term investment in terms of both savings to the Council and carbon reductions.

·  The Council would seek to maximise external funding, but it also had money in the Capital Programme that could be used to match that external funding, prioritising schemes that would meet its investment criteria; for example, the installation of new equipment which is energy saving.

·  The estimated costs of decarbonising key Maidstone Borough Council assets and the annual savings were based on site  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27