Councillors will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda.

In accordance with the code of conduct Councillor Buchan declared a personal interest (minute 22 refers) as she was a Council representative on Plymouth Energy Community Limited.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 21 October 2020.

The Committee agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 21 October 2020 are confirmed as a correct record.

The Chair advised that the minutes of the meetings held in November and December 2020 would be available at the meeting scheduled for 10 March 2021.

To receive reports on business which in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

The Chair advised following consideration by Cabinet of the Trade Cooperation Agreement and the impact on fishing, the Committee would hold a meeting next month to review the impact of this agreement on the local fishing industry.  The meeting would be held on 12 February 2021.

In accordance with Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the Chair brought forward the above item for urgent consideration because of the need to advise Members).

Kevin McKenzie (Policy and Intelligence Advisor) provided the latest national picture in respect of policy announcements and legislation. The report highlighted the following key areas -

There was an update to the policy brief which included -

Kevin McKenzie (Policy and Intelligence Advisor) undertook to circulate an up to date policy briefing to Committee Members.

The Committee noted the reported.

Councillor Coker (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure), Paul Barnard (Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) and Paul Webber (Planning Officer) presented the Plymouth Plan climate change review.

The report introduced the proposed changes to the Plymouth Plan arising from the resolution of the City Council on 16 December 2019, to ‘undertake an early review of the Plymouth Plan with city partners, in order to ensure that the plan responded to the climate emergency and the commitments set out in the Climate Emergency Action Plan’.

The review of the Plymouth Plan was undertaken during 2020 and included a policy by policy assessment, informed by stakeholder and community consultation, to ensure that the Plymouth Plan was aligned to the City Council’s pledge to make Plymouth carbon neutral by 2030, a declaration that was agreed unanimously by City Council on 18 March 2019.

The review process had recommended changes to 23 sections/policies of the Plymouth Plan to bring it into alignment with the climate emergency declaration and Climate Action Plan 2021.

The following questions were raised by members of the Committee –

Paul Barnard (Strategic Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) undertook to provide information on the Fab City Network to Councillor Wheeler.

For the reasons set out in the report, the Committee agreed to support and endorse the proposed changes to the Plymouth Plan to be formally adopted as part of the City Council’s Policy Framework.

Councillor Sue Dann (Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene), Councillor Mark Coker (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) and Paul Barnard (Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) presented the Climate Emergency Action Plan 2021.

The Climate Emergency Action Plan set out the strategic direction for the City Council and its partners in relation to climate change for Plymouth.  It was a demonstration of the City Council’s commitment to lead the city towards net zero carbon by 2030. The Climate Emergency Action Plan 2021 was a dynamic, living document that was prepared annually.  The Plan maintained the five key areas for action established by the first plan to ensure that it was fit for purpose as actions were ramped up through the three strategic phases of the journey to zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Initially, the response to the climate emergency required quick and decisive action to reverse the ongoing increases in carbon emissions.  This period of activity was identified as the ‘emergency response phase’. There were to further stages identified in the journey towards net zero carbon.  The ‘transitional phase’ would focus on the delivery of more substantial carbon reduction projects, a reshaping of policy and a realignment of resources to meet the 2030 net zero carbon challenge.  The final phase, known as the ‘acceleration phase’, will drive a significant shift towards net zero carbon living, working and travelling, ramping up still further decarbonisation actions and initiatives.

The Climate Emergency Action Plan 2021 was intended to be the last of the current ‘emergency phase’. It outlined over 80 realistic, achievable and deliverable actions the City Council was committed to delivering during 2021, in order to make tangible progress in this period of urgent response.  In 2020, the City Council, in partnership with a number of external partners, helped to establish the Plymouth Net Zero Partnership, a resilient governance structure that would support joint working between key public and private sector partners to drive the actions needed to achieve net zero by 2030. Detailed case studies provided by partners in the Plymouth Net Zero Partnership had been included in this second Climate Emergency Action Plan to illustrate the growing momentum behind climate emergency work across Plymouth.

The following questions were raised by Committee Members –

Councillor Sue Dann (Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene), Councillor Mark Coker (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) and Paul Barnard (Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) presented the Corporate Carbon Reduction Action Plan 2021.

The proposed Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2021 was submitted for the Committee to consider prior to the City Council meeting to be held on 25 January 2021 which was in accordance with the commitment made by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene, at the Cabinet meeting on 15 January 2020 (minute 40 refers).

The City Council agreed the first Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan in December 2019.  This marked a key milestone towards achieving a net zero carbon city by 2030. This plan was the subject to detailed review by this Committee at its meeting on 21 October 2020 (minute 7 refers).  The Plan was a dynamic, living document that would be reviewed and updated yearly and would evolve during the three phases of the Climate Change Acton Plan Strategic Approach.  The commitment was to produce annually a new action plan for each of the 11 years of the Climate Emergency period (2019-2030).

The Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2021 maintained the five key areas for action established by the first plan to ensure that it was fit for purpose as actions were ramped up through the three strategic phases of the journey to zero carbon emissions by 2030.  This second Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan contained 24 actions, all of which were deliverable within existing budgets and through existing staff resources by December 2021. Many of the proposed actions would deliver measurable carbon reductions from the specific activities planned and these would be monitored going forward.  Others, whilst not directly measurable, nevertheless would still contribute to reducing overall corporate carbon reduction impacts of the City Council estate and the delivery of its services and functions.

The following questions were raised by Committee Members –

For reasons set out in the report the Committee agreed to support and endorse the Corporate Carbon Reduction Action Plan 2021.

The following items had been included on the agenda for the meeting scheduled for 10 March 2021 –

The Committee noted its work programme for 2020/21.

The Committed noted the progress of its tracking decisions.