Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2021 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, which presented the Council’s performance for the second quarter period – 1 July to 30 September 2021.

The Directorate Performance Overview Reports provided a strategic summary of the key issues arising from performance in the relevant quarter for each Directorate and were aligned to Council priorities or functional areas.  This information was central to the Council’s performance arrangements and the Executive Board had a key role in monitoring performance and strengthening accountability.

            The information for each of the Council’s Directorates, including the implementation of high-risk mitigation measures, were presented in the appendices: Appendix 1 – People Directorate (Adult Social Care) and Appendix 2 – Enterprise, Community and Resources Directorate.

RESOLVED:  That the Board notes the information contained in the reports and comments made in respect of these.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, advising of the steps being taken to develop a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for the Council and sought approval to a number of principles to help inform and guide that strategy.

It was reported that the United Nations and the international scientific community had made clear the potentially severe global human, environmental and economic impacts that manmade climate change posed.  The recent COP 26 Summit brought the world’s focus to the challenges that Climate Change was and would bring to the world’s communities if action was not taken.  It was recognised that both the Council and the wider Halton Community had a role to play in reducing the amount of carbon that was released into the atmosphere.

It was noted that the Council had been addressing this agenda for many years and had a strong track record of reducing its own Carbon emissions, having developed its own Carbon Management Plan in 2008.  The Council also approved its own Climate Emergency Motion in October 2019, demonstrating its commitment to reducing its own carbon output.

The report outlined some of the successful initiatives the Council had pursued in recent years, in order to reduce its own carbon emissions, such as street lighting, roof top solar biomass, the solar farm, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund and various transport projects.  It was noted that there were many others which were in the developmental stages such as Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging points, further sustainable transport initiatives and additional investment in the Council’s green spaces.

It was recognised that despite the above achievements the Council had more to do and needed to develop a more detailed Action Plan, in order to make further progress.  A number of steps had been identified in order to get to this position in 2022; these were outlined in the report.

RESOLVED:  That the Board

1)    acknowledges the progress made to date by the Council in reducing its own carbon emissions;

2)    approves, in principle, that the Council sets its target to reach a carbon neutral status as 2040;

3)    agrees that in terms of the Council’s initial approach that the focus should be on buildings and vehicles as these two areas contributed the most to the Council’s existing emissions, together with the continued development of the Borough’s green infrastructure;

4)    supports the approach outlined in the report in relation to developing a detailed Action Plan in 2022 to support the Council’s objective of being carbon neutral by 2040;

5)    agrees that as part of that Action Plan that a methodology is developed to ensure that carbon reduction is considered both as part of any key decisions the Council is taking itself and as part of its formal procurement processes; and

6)    following the development of the Council’s action, a broader Borough wide Strategy be developed in consultation with partners and the community.

MINUTES ISSUED:   14 December 2021

CALL- IN:   21 December 2021 at 5.00 pm

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 21 December 2021.