Last week, the Town Council’s new environment committee met up for the second time, and agreed to its new guiding policy:
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Here are the minutes from that meeting:
sidmouth.gov.uk/images/Mins-ENV-300919.pdf
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Like other councils, they’d like to do more but could do with more support – as reported in the Public Sector Executive:
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Local councils need power and funding to hit climate change goals
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Local councils are dependent on long-term government funding pots and more devolved powers if they have a chance and meeting national climate change targets, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said today.
Including the LGA, which represents councils across England and Wales, 230 councils have declared a climate emergency. Many of them are working on taking their local area into a zero-carbon future. By introducing sustainability in their local development plans, they are doing what they can to prioritise the issue.
Despite the efforts and successful innovations made by councils, the LGA said that without the long-term funding and more powers from central government, their progress is being limited.
A leading example of this is in the strive for better air quality and less pollution. Councils do not have control of the roads and bus routes, some of which are operated by Highways England, meaning they cannot make real transformation to meet their target on the issue.
Local councils need power and funding to hit climate change goals
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In fact, the LGA lobbies hard:
LGA responds to Friends of the Earth report on climate-friendly councils