The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP

Chancellor of the Exchequer

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

 

Via post and email: philip.hammond.mp@parliament.uk

 

 

21 May 2019

 

 

 

Dear Mr Hammond

 

At the meeting of the Full Council on the 10th April 2019, Maidstone Borough Council passed a motion that noted with concern the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recent report on global climate change and its impact and the recent Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) reports on global species and habitat loss. In response to these reports, Maidstone Borough Council declared its recognition of the global climate and biodiversity emergencies.

 

Consequently the Council will be undertaking a short review of its own policies and actions to assess our contribution to addressing the threats arising from climate change and considering a target date of 2030 for the whole of the borough of Maidstone to be carbon neutral.

 

Some work is already underway. The Council is aware that links have been identified between climate change and the contributors of poor air quality. As a result the borough has an Air Quality Management Area covering part of the borough where air quality does not consistently meet acceptable standards; we recently engaged an expert to provide a feasibility study covering options to tackle poor air quality. In this way, we as a district council will contribute towards improving the broader position of climate change. Progress is limited by lack of resources.

 

To enable Maidstone Borough Council tackle the likely national impact on the economy and on the wellbeing of our citizens, we are requesting that government funding is made available to implement appropriate and swift actions in response to the climate challenge before us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would be grateful for your commitment to assist Maidstone Borough Council in this ambition and advise us what funding will be made available.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Alison Broom

Chief Executive

Maidstone Borough Council, Maidstone House, King Street,

Maidstone, Kent ME15 6JQ

t 01622 602019 w www.maidstone.gov.uk