As per Rule of Debate 4.2, Council agreed to extend the speech time by five minutes for the introduction of the Climate Emergency Action Plan and the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan. These plans were requested following the Motion on Notice approved by Full Council in March 2019.

Councillor Dann, Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene introduced the report on the Climate Emergency Action Plan and the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan. This was seconded by Councillor Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure.

Councillor Bowyer, Leader of the Opposition, highlighted that there had been less than 48 hours to consider the report since publication and that it was not clear as to what the impact of the proposals of the plan would be. A Select Committee was requested prior to agreement of the plans in order to give them greater consideration.

A Point of Order was raised given that this matter is already scheduled for a scrutiny committee in January.

The meeting was briefly adjourned.

On resumption, Councillor Nicholson proposed an amendment to the Declaration on Climate Emergency report and this was seconded by Councillor Darcy.

The amendment proposed that:

In relation to agenda item 7 of in order to devote appropriate due diligence to the most substantive issue before the Council Recommendations 1-10 pages 2 and 3 should be deleted and replaced with:

“Plymouth City Council agree to establish a dedicated select scrutiny committee to urgently consider the Declaration on Climate Emergency plan”

Following a debate, Council voted on the amendment as follows:

For (20)

Councillors Mrs Beer, Bowyer, Mrs Bowyer, Churchill, Darcy, Deacon, Drean, James, Jordan, Kelly, Michael Leaves,  Nicholson, Mrs Pengelly, Mrs Bridgeman, Carson, Mrs Loveridge, Cook, Rebecca Smith, Riley, Ms Watkin

Against (30)

Councillors MrsAspinall, Laing, Haydon, Coker, Dann, Winter, Davey, Buchan, Derrick, Neil, Mavin, Evans OBE, Hendy, Lowry, McDonald, Morris, Murphy, Parker-Delaz-Ajete, Penberthy, Rennie, Singh, Pete Smith, Stevens, Jon Taylor, Kate Taylor, Tuffin, Tuohy, Vincent, Wheeler, Allen

Abstain (0)

The amendment was not carried.

Council then proceeded to debate the substantive item.

Following the debate, Council approved the recommendations as set out in the report to:

1.    Note the progress that has been made since the declaration on climate emergency. Reason: To acknowledge that action has already been taken by the City Council and its partners since the Motion on Notice agreed at the meeting held on 18 March 2019 (Minute 89 refers).

2.    Support and endorse the Corporate Carbon Reduction Action Plan 2019-2024. Reason: To set the direction of travel for the decarbonisation of City Council services and activities, encourage the submission of funding bids to deliver the commitments set out in the plan, and to facilitate stakeholder engagement for further revisions to the plan.

3.    Support and endorse the 2019 Climate Emergency Action Plan. Reason: To set the direction of travel for the decarbonisation of Plymouth, encourage the submission of funding bids to deliver the commitments set out in the plan, and to facilitate stakeholder engagement for further revisions to the plan.

4.    Incorporates the provisions of the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2019-2024 and 2019 Climate Emergency Action Plan into the next revisions of the Corporate Plan and Medium Term Financial Plan. Reason: To ensure that the commitments set out in the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2019-2024 and 2019 Climate Emergency Action Plan are reflected as strategic commitments in the Corporate Plan and Medium Term Financial Plan.

5.    Incorporates a review of the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2019-2024 and 2019 Climate Emergency Action Plan every year and review the Climate Emergency work as part of the annual reporting on the Plymouth Plan. Reason: To hold the Cabinet to account for the delivery of the commitments in the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2019-2024 and 2019 Climate Emergency Action Plan in a manner that is consistent with the wishes of the City Council in its declaration on climate emergency.

6.    Note that Cabinet has requested the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2019-2024 and 2019 Climate Emergency Action Plan be referred to the Brexit, Infrastructure and Legislative Change Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Reason: To enable a detailed review of the commitments and actions contained in the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2019-2024 and 2019 Climate Emergency Action Plan by the Brexit, Infrastructure and Legislative Change Overview and Scrutiny Committee with a view to making recommendations to the Cabinet for its yearly review of each plan.

7.    Note that implementation of the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan 2019-2024 and 2019 Climate Emergency Action Plan is to be overseen by the Director of Place as the appointed Senior Responsible Officer but integrated across every Council department through a Climate Emergency Board led by Corporate Management Team members that meets bi-monthly. Reason: To ensure that the delivery of the action plans are coordinated across all City Council departments and that there is a single responsible senior manager who is accountable for implementation.

8.    Request the Cabinet to give consideration to the allocation of additional revenue funding to support the necessary staff resources to drive forward the delivery of the action plans. Reason: To ensure that there are sufficient staff resources to implement the action plans.

9.    Undertake an early review of the Plymouth Plan with city partners in order to ensure that the plan responds to the climate emergency and the commitments set out in the Climate Emergency Action Plan. Reason: The governance framework for the Plymouth Plan, set out in chapter 8 of the plan, describes circumstances where a full or partial review of the plan may be necessary. Paragraph 8.26 of the Plymouth Plan identifies what some of these circumstances might be, one of which is: “More rapid or dramatic than expected changes to the climate or weather conditions, or extreme environmental events”. Given that the City Council has declared a climate emergency in recognition of to the need for an urgent response from the global community to the threat of climate change, with a target of net zero carbon emissions from Plymouth by 2030, the City Council now needs to ensure that the City's long term strategic growth plans are properly aligned to this outcome.

10.  Actively promote the use of the City Change Fund in supporting community led initiatives that respond to the climate emergency and review the operation of the City Change Fund so that it encourages such projects to come forward. Reason: To facilitate community involvement in responding to the climate emergency and supporting delivery of the Climate Emergency Action Plan.

For (30)

Councillors Mrs Aspinall, Haydon, Coker, Dann, Davey, Evans OBE, Hendy, Cllr McDonald, Morris, Murphy, Parker-Delaz-Ajete, Penberthy, Rennie, Singh, Pete Smith, Stevens, Jon Taylor, Kate Taylor, Tuffin, Tuohy, Vincent,  Wheeler, Goslin, Buchan, Derrick, Neil, Mavin, Winter Laing, Allen

Abstain (20)

Councillors Mrs Beer, Bowyer, Mrs Bowyer, Churchill, Darcy, Deacon, Drean, James, Jordan, Riley, Kelly, Mrs Loveridge, Cook, Michael Leaves, Carson, Nicholson, Mrs Pengelly, Mrs Bridgeman, Rebecca Smith, Ms Watkin

Against (0)