Agenda item

Proposed by: Councillor Wheeldon

Seconded by: Councillor Walklett

This council is fully committed to reduce its output of greenhouse gases and therefore resolves that;

Our current target of a 30% reduction by 2015 should be brought in line with other public bodies and changed to a 40% reduction target by 2020.

Councillor Wheeldon, seconded by Councillor Walklett, proposed the following motion:

This council is fully committed to reduce its output of greenhouse gases and therefore resolves that;

Our current target of a 30% reduction by 2015 should be brought in line with other public bodies and changed to a 40% reduction target by 2020.

In proposing the motion, Councillor Wheeldon first reminded Members of some of the extreme weather events Cheltenham had seen over the part 15 years. 

He confirmed it was his intention to stand down in the upcoming Borough Elections and spoke of his plans to work in The Gambia, a country which generates less carbon emissions than the town of Cheltenham.

Friends of the Earth had invited the Council to sign up to their pledge to reduce Co2 emissions across the borough by 40% by 2020, but this wasn’t something he felt the Council could commit to given that it was not in a position to influence external organisations.  He did however, consider that the Council could commit itself to this target and lead from the front by setting an example for the rest of the town. 

The current corporate policy set out the Council’s commitment to a 30% reduction to the 2005 figures for emissions by 2015.  The issue was that this target was not comparable to other public bodies whose target reduction was 40% by 2020.

He was confident that this new target was achievable.  Members had recently demonstrated unanimous support for the purchase of zero carbon electricity and even a low carbon option would realise the current 30% reduction figure, but next year rather than by 2015.  He felt that it was actually the final 10% which would be more difficult to achieve and that was why he considered it necessary for the Council to adopt a longer term commitment to reach the higher target. 

He regularly heard Members complain about the heat in the public rooms and proposed that reducing heating costs would not only save the environment but also tax payer’s money.

He took this opportunity to thank Transition Towns and Vision 21 for the vital environmental work they did in the town and thanked residents of St. Paul’s, Officers and Members of the Council for their support in his role as a Borough Councillor.  He hoped that Members would support his motion.

As seconder, Councillor Walklett reserved his right to speak in support of the motion until later in the debate.

A number of Members took the opportunity to thank Councillor Wheeldon for the work he had undertaken in his Ward of St. Pauls and his commitment to reducing carbon emissions and wished him well in his future endeavours. 

Members who voiced concerns about the motion did so because there was no business case which set out the costs associated with achieving the proposed target reduction.  Whilst the aspiration was welcomed, Members felt unable to commit the Council to a course of action without this information and asked that the matter be considered by scrutiny. 

Members who supported the motion considered that the reduction was achievable, carbon saving initiatives would ultimately result in savings for Cheltenham tax payers and most importantly, that the Council should lead by example. 

The Cabinet Member Sustainability agreed that the proposed target was achievable and confirmed that there were already a number of initiatives included in the Corporate Strategy. 

Councillor Hall, as Chair of the Environment O&S Committee, was displeased that the motion had not been raised with the Committee before being put to Council under the name of the Climate Change Working Group.

The Leader assured Members that a Council motion did not bind Cabinet to any specific actions and agreed with Councillor Hall that the issue of the motion should be considered by the Environment O&S Committee, where more detail should be attached.

Councillor Garnham proposed an amendment to the motion, that the word ‘resolved’ be replaced by the word ‘aspires’ and that the issue then be considered by scrutiny.  Councillor Whyborn seconded the amendment.

Councillor Wheeldon, as proposer of the original motion which he deemed to most importantly, set out a comparable target against other authorities.  He did not accept the proposed amendment, but rather, proposed the addition of the wording ‘subject to consideration by scrutiny’ so the substantive motion would read;

This council is fully committed to reduce its output of greenhouse gases and therefore resolves that;

Our current target of a 30% reduction by 2015 should be brought in line with other public bodies and changed to a 40% reduction target by 2020 subject to consideration by scrutiny.

As seconder of the original motion, Councillor Walklett agreed that the addition of the extra wording proposed by Councillor Wheeldon would meet the requirements of those Members who had voiced concerns. 

In response to a request for clarification, the Borough Solicitor & Monitoring Officer confirmed that rule 13.2(a) of the constitution ‘Amendments to motions’ did allow Council to refer the matter to an appropriate body or individual for consideration or reconsideration.

Upon a vote on the substantive motion it was CARRIED with 2 Abstenstions.