Agenda and minutes
PDF 204 KBVenue: The John Meikle Room - The Deane House. View directions
Contact: Andrew Randell Email: a.randell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk
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Apologies
To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors Cavill, Stone and Wheatley.
The following attended as a substitutes:- Stock-Williams, Ellis and Coles. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting of the Scrutiny Committee
To approve the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee. Minutes: (Minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee held on 4 September circulated with the agenda)
Resolved that the minutes of the Scrutiny Committee held on 4September be confirmed as a correct record. |
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Declarations of Interest
To receive and note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary or prejudicial or personal interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.
(The personal interests of Councillors and Clerks of Somerset County Council, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes.) Minutes: Members present at the meeting declared the following personal interests in their capacity as a Councillor or Clerk of a County, Town or Parish Council or any other Local Authority:-
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Public Participation
The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.
For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue. Minutes: Alan Debenham invited all Councillors to an all-day seminar at Somerset Cooperative Services (10 East Reach) setting up green energy cooperatives on 5th November between 10am and 4pm.
Roger House provided a statement to the Committee summarised below:-
· The Council should enable all Somerset young people from 16 to 21 years a big discount card for travel in our local area for travel to work, college and courting. To help social mobility and combat the high cost of cars for younger people. Similar to Cardiff and the campaign by Citizens UK for 16 to 25 year olds. · Support private coaches and meet the Confederation of Passenger Transport to achieve coach friendly status for towns within the district.
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Additional documents: Minutes: In 2019 the five Somerset Local Authorities recognised a climate emergency and agreed to collaborate in producing a joint Climate Emergency Strategy. Whilst each declaration was slightly different, all aspired to achieving carbon neutrality in their own operations and to work towards achieving this across the geography of their administrative area.
At the same time, SWT committed to producing a Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience Plan. The report to Scrutiny Committee in July this year explained the relationship between the county-wide and SWT-specific work and the Governance arrangements being set up.
Draft Somerset Climate Emergency Framework A group of officers representing Somerset County Council, the four district authorities, Exmoor National Park Authority were guiding and shaping the development of the County-wide framework within which the detailed investigation needed will be undertaken. This group – the Strategic Management Group - would have a critical overseeing role in shaping the desired outcomes emanating from that work.
Feeding into the Strategic Management Group would be the detailed work undertaken by operational experts and stakeholders within nine work streams: · Built Environment · Natural Environment · Energy · Farming and Food · Industry, Business and Supply Chain · Transport · Waste and Resource Management · Flood water and adaptation · Communications and Engagement
Each work stream was working to a detailed brief and had a nominated lead. They would be researching and prioritising key issues, identifying possible actions to mitigate and understanding the full life cycle of decisions to implement these actions.
SWT had representation on all of these work streams and were able to support with appropriate subject-matter expertise and ensure two-way dialogue between workstream development across the county and in relation to the Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience Plan.
The work of officers was overseen by a group of portfolio holders from across the districts, which included Cllr Peter Pilkington, and by the Leaders and CEOs, with Brendan Cleere and Michele Cusack (SCC) acting as the conduit between these groups. The work of all groups was scrutinised by a Joint Task and Finish Group; SWT’s representation on that group was through Cllrs Dave Mansell and Loretta Whetlor.
Members noted the proposed timings for delivery of the Climate Emergency Strategy, which included provision for consultation during November and December 2019.
Consultation activities were in the early stages of development, but were expected to include an online consultation aimed at secondary school-aged children 11-18 years, preceded by school visits to encourage participation. They included an online consultation aimed at all residents, communities and businesses in Somerset and a series of Summits, which would take the form of a full day, face-to-face consultation event, open to all. A provisional date for the SWT Summit was 16th November but remained still to be confirmed.
Draft SWT Framework Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience Plan A Draft of SWT’s own Framework Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience Plan had been produced alongside the Draft Somerset Climate Emergency Framework. Its purpose was to spark a conversation about how the community could look to develop and ultimately deliver the district’s ... view the full minutes text for item 37. |
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Scrutiny Committee Forward Plan
To receive items and review the Forward Plan. Minutes: (Copy of the Scrutiny Committee Forward Plan, circulated with the agenda).
Councillors were reminded that if they had an item they wanted to add to the agenda, that they should send their requests to the Governance Team.
Resolved that the Scrutiny Committee Forward Plan be noted. |