Agenda and minutes

Agreed:- That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Members Sustainable Development Action Group, held on 31^st October, 2008, be accepted as a correct record.

Further to Minute No. 82 (World Environment Day), the Chairman reported that he had attended a recent meeting of Primary School Head Teachers to engage schools in the activities.  Discussion had also taken place with Councillor Lakin, the Council’s representative on South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, with regard to involvement of the Fire Service on a training exercise and river clean up.

- Paul Maplethorpe, Senior Home Energy Officer

Paul Maplethorpe, Affordable Warmth and Sustainable Energy Co-ordinator, gave the following presentation:-

-              6,702 Rotherham households were in fuel poverty (6.1%) – set to rise

-              £1,287 was the average dual fuel bill in Great Britain

Help and Support

-              Save N Warm Scheme

o             Discounted Heating and Insulation installation – subsidised by Npower and the South Yorkshire Energy Advice Centre

o             To qualify, households must be in South Yorkshire and be able to pay the discounted £249 fee

o             In Rotherham during 2007/08:

               545 households benefited from loft insulation

               783 households benefited from cavity insulation

               158 households benefited from heating replacement

-              Warm Front Scheme

o             Government-funded flag ship scheme for free insulation and heating

o             To qualify residents must be home owners or in private rented accommodation and be in receipt of benefits

o             In Rotherham during 2007/08, 1,164 households benefited

o             Levered in £1.2M funding into the Borough so far

-              Sustainable Communities offer local expert advice to Rotherham’s residents on:-

o             Energy efficiency in the home

o             Energy saving measures

o             Grant advice , insulation and heating upgrades

o             As well as being a signposting service to a whole range of schemes and services

-              Hot Spots

o             A partnership referral project involving the Home Fire Safety Team, PCT and Benefits which offer energy efficiency advice during home visits and appointments

o             Ensuring as many people as possible, particularly the vulnerable, were able to access energy advice and benefits

-              Neighbourhood Energy Action Scheme had enabled RMBC:-

o             To address fuel poverty and energy efficiency; 4 Neighbourhood Energy Officers (NEO’s) will provide a doorstep ‘One Stop Shop’

o             4,000 households in the most vulnerable Wards in Rotherham would be targeted taking advice to the communities in most need first

o             NEO’s would be saving on global warming by using electric bikes to get around

-              Energy Roadshows

o             The Energy Efficiency and Affordable Warmth Team had been taking their exhibition to the communities and spreading the word

Consideration was also given to a briefing note that was to be distributed to all Members on what schemes, discounts etc. where currently available for insulation/heating to prevent fuel poverty. 

Discussion ensued on the presentation and briefing note.  The following points were raised:-

v           Pass all information onto the Director of Internal Audit and Governance who was leading on the work taking place corporately on the credit crunch

v           Make clear distinctions between what schemes were available for home owners and for Council tenants

v           Children in receipt of benefits living in a household did not quality for the Warm Front Scheme

- presentation by Tim Archer, Development Officer Allotments

Tim Archer, Development Officer Allotments gave the following presentation:-

-              The Council managed 31 allotment sites across the Borough, a total of 1,271 plots.  There had been a large increase in demand during the last 10 years moving from an occupancy level of 56% to that of 90.3% (variable) in 5 years.  80+ plots had been let in 2008/09 with a further 80+ enquiries not yet dealt with

-              A computer system was now operated for the recording of allotment tenants

-              ISO9001 accreditation process successfully completed

-              All repairs and grounds maintenance were done in house with new plant and machinery including tractor, strimmers, hedgecutters and a 4 wheel drive vehicle with tail lift (also used in support to the off-road motorbike operations)

-              Funding had been sought and achieved:-

o                   £38,000 Clough Bank – new fencing, gates and meeting room

o                   £14,000 Rosehill – new fencing and gates

o                   £50,000 Barnsley Road and Wet Moor Lane – new fencing, gates and car park

o                   £50,000 Scrooby Allotments – new fencing, gates, car park and meeting room

o                   £75,000 Clifton – new meeting room, store, shop, car park and roadways.  Also, as part of a gateway to the community project, new look gate fronts

o                   £75,000 HerringthorpeValley – new meeting room, store and standalone toilet, 3 car parks and 2 roadways.  Also, as part of a gateway to the community project, new look gate fronts

o                   £57,000 KimberworthPark – new fencing, gates and new steel shed doors and new roofs to 30 sheds

o                   £28,000 South Street, Kimberworth – new fencing to rear of the site, new shed roofs

o                   £67,000 BroomValley New – new meeting room with shop and store, new gates

o                   £7,000 Rectory Fields – new fencing and gates to the top of the site.  The bottom of the site still desperate for security improvements

o                   £5,000 Lowfield Avenue, Hartley Lane – new gates

o                   £2,000 – relock and re-key all sites

-              Difficulties – security – High Street, Vicarage Fields, Wood Street, Rectory Fields, Hartley Lane, Broom Valley Old, Queen Street North, Queen Street South, Lowfield Avenue, Highfield, Psalters Lane

-              There is a considerable amount of asbestos across most, if not all, of the sites.  A survey was required of all sites to better identify the location, amounts and a cost for the clearance

-              A number of toilets, meeting rooms and shops had been provided together with better access, roads and car parking

-              Work was underway on the creation of an Allotments Strategy for Rotherham

-              To date, digital mapping of all sites had been completed with working taking place on a baseline survey

-              A working group had been set comprising of senior members of the Allotments Council to work with officers in pre-checking the direction of the Strategy

-              The largest survey ever of tenants had been completed with over 1,000 forms sent out.  The results were due shortly.  The information would be fed into  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.

- report to be tabled by David Rhodes

David Rhodes, Corporate Environmental Officer, presented an update report.

The report recommending the discontinuation of EMAS had been rejected and was now being put forward as evidence for the ‘Resource Use’ KLOE.  Plans were now being developed to expand EMAS to include Green Spaces.

EMAS was also being linked to NI185 ‘CO₂ reduction for Council activities’ and Service Area Carbon Reduction Plans (SACRPs).  The proposal to produce SACRPs would delegate the responsibility of CO₂ reductions on all Directors and have actions in Service Plans that would be monitored at least on an annual basis.

Of the 112 Display of Energy Certificates, 40 had been completed, 35 surveys already carried out with 37 surveys required.  New legislation would expand the requirement for DECs (expected December, 2010) to all buildings above 250 m² rather than the current 1,000 m².  This would increase the burden by an additional 434 certificates.

Agreed:-  That the report be noted

- David Wilde, LA21 Officer, to report

David Wilde (LA21’s), presented a progress report highlighting the following issues:-

-              Presentation of EMAS certificates to pupils on ‘eco-committees’ of Abbey, Wath CofE and St. Mary’s Schools by the Mayor

-              Aston CofE sign up to Green Check/EMAS in schools

-              Start of Supergrounds project at Dalton Listerdale

-              St. Ann’s ‘Dream Playground’ project approaching completion

Agreed:-  That the report be noted.

- report to be tabled by Emma Bridge

Emma Bridge, Policy Officer, reported on the following:-

-              An invitation had been sent to members of the Group together with Regeneration and Sustainable Scrutiny Panels and partners, to a workshop on the Climate Change Action Plan on 28^th January, 2009.  Attached to the invitation was the Energy Saving Trust report on the Council’s performance on Climate Change.  It was the aim to have sign off by the end of March/April.

-              With regard to the LAGBI funding, Cabinet had approved the awarding of LABGI funding towards a number of projects, which contributed to progressing sustainable development in the Borough (Minute No. 150 of 7^th January, 2009 refers)

-              The South Yorkshire Local Authority Climate Change Working Group had now met twice.  The current area of work was sharing information on what authorities were currently doing on Climate Change Indicators and pulling together a joint application for funding

-              World Environment Day – The main areas of activity were looking at a potential river clean up, various community clean up events and schools/international links event.  In March it was hoped to have a Youth Forum consultation event on World Environment Day and wider issues together with links into the Local Democracy Week.  There would be consultation with various groups such as Education Sustainability Development Forum and Primary school teachers, involvement with community and interest groups

-              Sustainability Partnership – It had now been officially approved that it would sit under the Achieving Board on an interim basis

-              The Annual Yorkshire and Humber Environment Index Submissions had to be submitted by the end of January.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the Sustainability Partnership held on 15^th October, 2008 be noted.

- verbal update by Emma Bridge

Emma reported:-

New climate change duty and parliamentary scrutiny to strengthen Planning Bill (4 November)

New amendments to the Government's Planning Bill have been laid in Parliament to strengthen the scrutiny of national policy statements by the House of Lords, and tackle climate change.

The changes provide a key new role for peers in scrutinising all national policy statements including those for aviation, nuclear power and renewable energy, and there is now a legal duty on the face of the Bill for National Policy Statements to show how they will mitigate and adapt to climate change.

The Planning Bill is crucial to tackling the two biggest issues the country faces today: ensuring our economy is resilient in the tough competitive global climate; and delivering new green infrastructure vital for the leap to an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

Latest improvements to the Bill will ensure that:

-              There will be an explicit climate change duty on the face of the Bill. National Policy Statements and regional plans will now have to show how they mitigate and adapt to climate change - and Government must explain how it does this to parliament

-              A Lords Committee will now have a key role reviewing and scrutinising National Policy Statements, increasing Parliamentary scrutiny of draft statements by both Houses

-              Confirmation of inquiry procedures will ensure that the Infrastructure Planning Commission can where appropriate invite cross-examination of witnesses to help with evidence gathering whilst still ensuring that local voices are not drowned out by powerful lawyers.

Pre-Budget Report 2008: Delivering on environmental goals (24 November)

The 2008 Pre-Budget Report contributes to meeting the UK's ambitious long-term environmental goals while supporting low carbon growth, by:

-              introducing a green stimulus, ensuring part of the fiscal stimulus supports low-carbon growth and jobs by accelerating £535 million of capital spending on energy efficiency, rail transport, and adaptation measures;

-              retaining the Renewable Obligation by at least ten years to provide financial support for large-scale renewable electricity ensuring investors can plan with confidence for the future;

-              successfully securing inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme from 2012, and holding Europe's first Phase II carbon auction on 19 November 2008;

-              following a fall in pump prices of over 20 pence per litre from their summer peaks, the postponed two pence per litre fuel duty increase will go ahead on 1 December 2008;

-              installing 600,000 insulation measures this winter, up 70 per cent on last winter, through the £6.8 billion Home Energy Saving Programme, half of which is funded through energy companies, to help households save up to £300 a year on energy bills and reduce carbon emissions;

-              continuing to provide a clearer environmental signal through reform to vehicle excise duty, while ensuring that no driver in any given band will pay more than £5 extra in 2009 or £30 extra in 2010;

-              reforming air passenger duty from 1 November 2009, moving from two to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 97.

Agreed:-  That future agendas include the following:-

World Environment Day

Environment and Climate Change Policy Workshop

Waterways Strategy

Agreed:-  That the Chair circulate to Members the Energy Saving Trust review carried out on Council activities.

- Friday, 6^th March, 2009 at 10.30 a.m.

Agreed:-  That a further meeting be held on Friday, 6th March, 2009, commencing at 10.30 a.m.