Council calls for action to remove barriers to tackling the climate emergency
At its council meeting on Thursday 7 October, South Oxfordshire District Council agreed a series of motions aimed at boosting efforts to address the climate emergency, and to protect and enhance the natural environment and increase biodiversity.
The motions all highlight the need for government to take action to remove unnecessary barriers which are delaying or impacting measures to tackle the climate emergency at a local level. In the run up to COP26, councillors believe these actions will be vital if the UK wishes to lead by example in the fight against climate change.
Levelling up and planning
Following a motion proposed by Cllr Anne-Marie Simpson and seconded by Cllr Pieter-Paul Barker, Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, has written to HM Government to call on it to scrap the current proposals for planning reform and instead boost rights of local residents to engage in the planning process.
Cllr Rouane asks the government to transform the process into one that assesses the ‘climate fitness’ of a district and plans for growth within the environmental capacity of that area, looking at carbon emissions, water availability and the pressing need for nature recovery at scale.
Cllr Rouane also calls for a thorough review of Building Regulations and the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure require property developments to be built to net-zero standards in manufacture and use, and reiterates the council’s belief that the 5 Year Housing Land Supply measure is flawed and inappropriate, as councils should not be held to account for the actions – or indeed lack of action – of developers, with regard to the delivery of housing on allocated or approved development sites.
Read Cllr Rouane’s letter to Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities about planning.
Decarbonisation of leisure centres
In order to achieve its own carbon reduction targets, South Oxfordshire District Council needs to be able to successfully decarbonise its leisure centres. Funding to carry out this work has been made available by the government through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund. However, so far, the fund has been significantly oversubscribed and the application process made more difficult by stop-start initiatives and significant restrictions on how the money can be provided.
South Oxfordshire District Council believes it would be more effective to resource local areas to deliver their own decarbonisation strategies, meaning long-term funding to boost the future of public swimming pools, potentially decrease the long-term cost of operating pools, and contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions. This would also provide local suppliers with the confidence to invest in staff, skills and the technology.
Following a motion proposed by Cllr Maggie Filipova-Rivers and seconded by Cllr Sam Casey-Rerhaye, Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, has written to the department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to highlight the barriers councils currently face when applying to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund, and the urgent need for a long-term approach to decarbonising leisure centres in order to support local authorities to lead the way in the delivery of a net zero future for leisure.
Read Cllr Rouane’s Letter to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, about the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund.
Retrofitting homes for energy efficiency
Following a motion proposed by Cllr Sam Casey-Rerhaye and seconded by Cllr George Levy, Cllr Rouane has also written to the government to urge it to address retrofitting as a priority. The letter highlights the need to recognise retrofitting’s importance in achieving our national and international carbon emission targets, and calls for adequate funding to be made available for all local authorities in any retrofit strategy.
Finally, the council calls for the government to develop long term support for householders, including changes in relevant laws, guidance and tax regulations and to encourage businesses and the skills development needed to support retrofitting.
Read Cllr Rouane’s letter to the secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities about retrofitting, which included a copy of the report by the Task and Finish Group on Retrofitting Homes in the Districts.
Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “There are significant barriers in place nationally which stops climate action from happening effectively at a local level, from restrictive funding application processes to a planning system that puts developer desires ahead of the needs of the climate, our environment or our residents. We need the government to focus on having the strategies, processes, and funding in place as quickly as possible that will allow us to achieve our carbon reduction targets and to better protect our environment.
“As we approach the UN COP26 conference in November the government should be looking to demonstrate global leadership on climate action, however, to do so effectively, it must also facilitate climate action at the local level too.”
