Agenda item

Motion A

 

Proposed by Councillor Cooke

Seconded by Councillor Harman

 

This council recognises that trees have a crucial role to play in tackling the climate emergency. 

 

Following the declaration of a climate emergency in February 2019, and the endorsement of the ‘Carbon Neutral Cheltenham Leadership through Stewardship’ report in October 2019, this council further notes that:

 

Doubling tree cover across the UK could draw down 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which is around 10% of current UK emissions.

 

Trees also provide additional benefits beyond their critical importance in reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions: trees create more space for nature, supporting hundreds of species of insects, birds and mammals. Trees are also great for public health, helping clean the air and providing access to nature that’s important for our wellbeing.

 

This council therefore commits to including the following in its Carbon Neutral action plan and allocate appropriate funding for:

1) Increasing tree cover on council-owned land.

2) Increasing tree cover across the Borough by updating council strategies and plans.

3) Working with partner organisations to plant one million trees by 2030

 

In proposing the motion Councillor Cooke explained that this followed on from the carbon leadership report that was brought to Council and sought approval to include the initiatives in the enabling work that the council had already endeavored to undertake. He acknowledged that this required working with partner agencies such as the Woodland Trust to change the management of the land. He wished to modify point 3 as follows :

 

‘‘working with partner organisations towards planting 1 million trees or equivalent by 2030’’.

 

He highlighted that over its lifetime, 1 tree stored a metric tonne of carbon and each human on average, produces 12 tonnes a year. Therefore, whilst trees would never be the complete answer, they could form an important part of the solution and official figures suggested we need to plant around 5x more trees. He stressed that in the UK, the woodland cover is only around 13% when compared with Europe which is around 35%.  Similarly, the UK imported a significant amount of wood and only produced around 20% of its own in order to fulfill its timber requirements. He highlighted that as well as carbon sequestration, trees contributed to flood defense, reduction in soil erosion, improved biodiversity and importantly improving effects on air quality. He acknowledged that the council was limited to planting trees on its own land, however, reasoned that ecological succession would enable indigenous species to grow and would not cost the council money. He noted that imported diseases and pests caused a number of trees to die and so at the very least they needed to be replanting these. 

 

Councillor Willingham proposed the following amendment to motion A, this was seconded by Councillor Baker.

 

After the third paragraph ending “our wellbeing.” Add the following paragraphs:

 

“Cheltenham Borough Council has already commenced tree planting, with approximately one thousand trees having already been planted in various parks and green spaces across the Borough; including at: Elmfield Park, Honeybourne Line (north), Winston Churchill Memorial Gardens, Nauton Park, King George V Playing Field, Benhall Open Space and Pittville Park.  Council formally records its thanks to the Green Spaces Team and the volunteers who gave up their time to do this.

 

The report predicts that planting one million trees has the potential annual effect of removing 1t CO2e, whereas measures such as “Zero Carbon Leisure@”, “Net positive depot”, “100% renewable electricity” and “Solar car parks”, are each predicted to have the potential annual effect of removing 1,190t CO2e, 970t CO2e, 860t CO2e and 800t CO2e respectively.  This gives a total predicted effect of removing 3,820t CO2e, something that would be between three and four orders of magnitude more effective than planting trees and that to have a significant impact the schemes with the greatest impact need to be prioritised, and that the Council has already switched to renewable electricity.

 

Cheltenham Borough Council cannot tackle global climate change in isolation, that central government needs to make positive changes to legislation to give local authorities the additional powers they need to tackle climate change and that the Leader of the Council has already written to Ministers to request these and notes with concern and regret our Member of Parliament’s reported record1 of consistently voting against measures to tackle climate change;  including:

 

•      Voting not to reduce the permitted carbon dioxide emission rate of new homes.

•      Voting against requiring a strategy for carbon capture and storage for the energy industry.

•      Voting against setting a decarbonisation target for the UK within six months of June 2016 and reviewing it annually thereafter.

•      Voting to apply the Climate Change Levy tax to electricity generated from renewable sources.

•      Voting to apply the tax on non-domestic electricity supplies known as the climate change levy to electricity generated from renewable sources.

 

The responsibility for planting and maintaining street trees in the Borough is the responsibility of Gloucestershire County Council.”

 

In the numbered item 3) replace the word “Working” with “Continue working, both internally and”

 

Add numbered items 4) and 5) and footnote ¹ as follows:

 

“4) Encourage Gloucestershire County Council to deliver a comprehensive street tree planting programme within the Borough.

5) Continue to lobby the government, both directly and via the Local Government Association, for the additional powers the council needs to locally tackle climate change. 

¹ at https://www.theyworkforyou.com/”

 

In proposing the amendment, Councillor Willingham wished to highlight the work the Council was already doing as part of the stewardship programme which included the planting of 1000 trees in parks and gardens across the borough. He also noted that initiatives that were being undertaken by the council such as  Zero Carbon Leisure@, Net positive depot, 100% renewable electricity and Solar car parks had a greater effect on CO2e removal than planting tress and the initiatives with the greatest impact needed to be prioritised.  He stressed that climate change could not be tackled in isolation and that will from Central Government commitment was imperative. Therefore, continuing to lobby the government was key to tackling the problem. He further noted that the planting and maintenance of street trees was the responsibility of the County Council.  

 

Members proceeded to debate the amendment and made the following comments:

 

·         The County Council have an ambitious planting programme for trees that forms part of a wider climate change strategy.

·         There was not enough space to plant the required number of trees and so this would only form a small part of the solution.

·         It was acknowledged that tree planting was important in combating pollutants and particulates. 

·         More needed to be done by Central Government to incentivise people to reduce their carbon footprint.

·         It was questioned whether the figures in the amendment which stated that planting one million trees had the potential annual effect of removing 1t CO2e were factually correct.

·         Some Members questioned the leadership from Gloucestershire County Council on issues of climate change, particularly with regards to the recent decision of the TRO committee to reverse the transport plan.

·         One Members reasoned that better insulation of homes had a far greater impact than tree planting.

·         Members acknowledged the investment that the European Union was making in to initiatives to tackle climate change and the importance of working with them to address the problem.

 

Members welcomed the motion which aimed to tackle the root cause of the problem and was not just focused on mitigation measures. 

 

Councillor Willingham explained that the figures cited in the amendment had come from the original stewardship report that had been presented to council in October 2019.

 

Upon a vote, the amendment was CARRIED.

 

Councillor Horwood proposed to remove the following line from the motion given the suspected inaccuracies in the statistics.

 

‘’The report predicts that planting one million trees has the potential annual effect of removing 1t CO2e’’.

 

As proposer of the original motion, Councillor Cooke agreed that the above line be omitted from the amended motion.

 

Members proceeded to debate the substantive motion. One Member questioned the requirement for the motion given the fact that council had voted to declare a climate emergency in October 2019 and as part of that had committed to planting 1 million trees.

 

In concluding, Councillor Cooke acknowledged that the commitment was in the original DCA report, however, the purpose of the motion was to make it more explicit so that the public were aware such measures were being taken. He stressed that it could only form a small part of the solution. Importing wood for wood pellets and for building had huge carbon costs and so it would be better to use trees within the UK.

 

Upon a vote, the motion (as amended) was CARRIED.

 

Motion A (as amended)

 

This council recognises that trees have a crucial role to play in tackling the climate emergency.

 

Following the declaration of a climate emergency in February 2019, and the endorsement of the ‘Carbon Neutral Cheltenham Leadership through Stewardship’ report in October 2019, this council further notes that:

 

Doubling tree cover across the UK could draw down 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which is around 10% of current UK emissions.

 

Trees also provide additional benefits beyond their critical importance in reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions: trees create more space for nature, supporting hundreds of species of insects, birds and mammals. Trees are also great for public health, helping clean the air and providing access to nature that’s important for our wellbeing.

 

Cheltenham Borough Council has already commenced tree planting, with approximately one thousand trees having already been planted in various parks and green spaces across the Borough; including at: Elmfield Park, Honeybourne Line (north), Winston Churchill Memorial Gardens, Nauton Park, King George V Playing Field, Benhall Open Space and Pittville Park.  Council formally records its thanks to the Green Spaces Team and the volunteers who gave up their time to do this.

 

Measures such as “Zero Carbon Leisure@”, “Net positive depot”, “100% renewable electricity” and “Solar car parks”, are each predicted to have the potential annual effect of removing 1,190t CO2e, 970t CO2e, 860t CO2e and 800t CO2e respectively.  This gives a total predicted effect of removing 3,820t CO2e, something that would be between three and four orders of magnitude more effective than planting trees and that to have a significant impact the schemes with the greatest impact need to be prioritised, and that the Council has already switched to renewable electricity.

 

Cheltenham Borough Council cannot tackle global climate change in isolation, that central government needs to make positive changes to legislation to give local authorities the additional powers they need to tackle climate change and that the Leader of the Council has already written to Ministers to request these and notes with concern and regret our Member of Parliament’s reported record¹ of consistently voting against measures to tackle climate change;  including:

 

•      Voting not to reduce the permitted carbon dioxide emission rate of new homes.

•      Voting against requiring a strategy for carbon capture and storage for the energy industry.

•      Voting against setting a decarbonisation target for the UK within six months of June 2016 and reviewing it annually thereafter.

•      Voting to apply the Climate Change Levy tax to electricity generated from renewable sources.

•      Voting to apply the tax on non-domestic electricity supplies known as the climate change levy to electricity generated from renewable sources.

 

The responsibility for planting and maintaining street trees in the Borough is the responsibility of Gloucestershire County Council.

 

This council therefore commits to including the following in its Carbon Neutral action plan and allocate appropriate funding for:

 

1) Increasing tree cover on council-owned land.

2) Increasing tree cover across the Borough by updating council strategies and plans.

3) Continueworking with partner organisations towards planting 1 million trees or equivalent by 2030.

4) Encourage Gloucestershire County Council to deliver a comprehensive street tree planting programme within the Borough.

5) Continue to lobby the government, both directly and via the Local Government Association, for the additional powers the council needs to locally tackle climate change. 

¹ at https://www.theyworkforyou.com/

 

 

Motion B

 

Proposed by Councillor Babbage

Seconded by Councillor Harvey 

 

The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

 

This Council notes that:?

• The Government recently commissioned a review of National Parks and AONB sites in England, led by Julian Glover. The findings of the review (Landscapes Review) were published in September.?
• The Cotswolds, which already has Conservation Board Status as an AONB, receives approximately 23 million visitor days each year, with tourism worth around £900m to the local economy.?
• The Landscapes Review identifies the Cotswolds as a ‘strong candidate, to be considered for National Park status’, suggesting Natural England and Ministers consider the case for this designation.?

?This Council further notes, however, that:?

• The Cotswolds is not reliant upon just its landscapes and tourism for its economy, it is also a thriving area for a wide range of businesses and technologies with many established employment sites.?
• A National Park designation can affect housing affordability as there is often a ‘price premium’ applied to National Park area designations.
• A National Park designation would remove planning powers over land within the National Park from existing planning authorities, including Cheltenham Borough Council, reducing democratic accountability.

?This Council resolves to write to Natural England and relevant Ministers:?

• To support aspects of the Landscape Review, including the underlying thrust of promoting and supporting national landscapes for our nation’s wellbeing while protecting and enhancing our countryside.?
• But to reject the notion of a National Park designation for the Cotswolds, noting that tourism is already thriving in the area and that no evidence has been provided to show how the costs to the wider economic future outweigh the smaller benefits that would come from a change in designation.?

To work with other local authorities within the AONB and the Cotswolds Conservation Board to address the challenges and opportunities highlighted in the Landscapes Review.?

 

In proposing the motion, Councillor Babbage acknowledged that a number of Members had already voted on a similar matter at the County Council.  He cited the benefits of having National Park status which included the boost to tourism. However, he noted that National Parks come with upward pressure on issues such as housing affordability. Furthermore, the Cotswolds was not a typical AONB as it comprised large urban towns with established employment sites. Under a National Park, the responsibility for planning decisions would lie with the National Park Authority.

 

Members supported the motion and had particular concerns with regards to the implications on the planning process. National Park authorities were not democratically accountable bodies. They also cited concerns with the impact on house prices.

 

Councillor Willingham proposed the following amendment to Motion B, this was seconded by Councillor Wheeler

 

In the third section of bullet points between the second and third bullet point, add the following text:

 

“•     To remind Ministers of the financial difficulties caused to agricultural businesses and other land stewards by significant delays to payments from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and Natural England (NE), and to suggest that resolution of these issues should be prioritised ahead of considering National Park status.”

 

In the third section of bullet points, in the final bullet point, replace the word “and” after “AONB” with a comma, and add the words “and other appropriate partners including the Cleeve Common Trust,” after the phrase “Cotswolds Conservation Board”.

 

Some Members had concerns that they had not had time to consider the amendment and suggested a deferral. However, following a short discussion Councillor Babbage, as proposer of the motion agreed to the amendment.

 

One Member noted a recent decision in the supreme court which removed a village green status as an area of open land and questioned what the potential implications were for local green space in Cheltenham and in the AONB area as a result of the decision at the supreme court.

 

Upon a vote, the motion (as amended) was CARRIED.

 

Motion B (as amended)

The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

This Council notes that:

•      The Government recently commissioned a review of National Parks and AONB sites in England, led by Julian Glover. The findings of the review (Landscapes Review) were published in September.

•      The Cotswolds, which already has Conservation Board Status as an AONB, receives approximately 23 million visitor days each year, with tourism worth around £900m to the local economy.

•      The Landscapes Review identifies the Cotswolds as a ‘strong candidate, to be considered for National Park status’, suggesting Natural England and Ministers consider the case for this designation.

This Council further notes, however, that:

•      The Cotswolds is not reliant upon just its landscapes and tourism for its economy, it is also a thriving area for a wide range of businesses and technologies with many established employment sites.

•      A National Park designation can affect housing affordability as there is often a ‘price premium’ applied to National Park area designations.

•      A National Park designation would remove planning powers over land within the National Park from existing planning authorities, including Cheltenham Borough Council, reducing democratic accountability.

This Council resolves to write to Natural England and relevant Ministers:

•      To support aspects of the Landscape Review, including the underlying thrust of promoting and supporting national landscapes for our nation’s wellbeing while protecting and enhancing our countryside.

•      But to reject the notion of a National Park designation for the Cotswolds, noting that tourism is already thriving in the area and that no evidence has been provided to show how the costs to the wider economic future outweigh the smaller benefits that would come from a change in designation.

•      To remind Ministers of the financial difficulties caused to agricultural businesses and other land stewards by significant delays to payments from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and Natural England (NE), and to suggest that resolution of these issues should be prioritised ahead of considering National Park status.

•      To work with other local authorities within the AONB and, the Cotswolds Conservation Board and other appropriate partners including the Cleeve Common Trust, to address the challenges and opportunities highlighted in the Landscapes Review.