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Climate change and the District Council

  • by JW

“Councils are best placed to respond to the public’s growing concern about climate change.”

 

Local government will be facing yet more tough financial choices this year:

Councils in crisis with more tax rises and service cuts due | guardian.com

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And yet, Sidmouth’s town council is committing to invest in local projects

– specifically “the cultural, sporting and environmental activities in the valley”:

Sidmouth residents to pay town council an extra 22p a week to fund new toilets, skate park and youth centre upgrade | eastdevonnews.co.uk

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Meanwhile, the District Council has made a real commitment to combating climate change – despite the financial pressures not to do so:

Study to see if energy-efficient buildings in East Devon could net council tax and business rates discounts | eastcdevonnews.co.uk

Council rejects bid to take money from Climate Change action to give to Economic Development team | devonlive.com

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And their plans for this year are topped by environmental and climate change priorities:

The 77 things that East Devon plans to do next year | devonlive.com

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The problem, as the first link above points out, is that councils lack the funds to do very much:

Councils need more power and funding to meet national climate targets

Climate change > councils ‘lack the power and funds to take effective action’

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This is from the Local Government Association back in September:

 

Climate change goals hinge on funding and powers for local areas

“Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet and councils are best placed to respond to the public’s growing concern about this and other burning environmental issues moving further to the top of the Prime Minister’s in-tray.”