Agenda item

This report sets out notices of motions ruled in order by the Mayor in consultation with the Chief Legal Officer.

The Council received three Motions.

Motion 1: “Climate Change emergency”

In pursuance of the Council’s Rules of Procedure, Councillor Hannah Dalton MOVED and Councillor Kate Chinn SECONDED the following Motion:

“This Council notes that the UK Parliament recently declared a climate change emergency and recognises the importance of continuing to respond to the environmental concerns highlighted by the on-going global and national debate.

Epsom and Ewell Council recognises the serious and accelerating changes to the world caused by climate change, as well as the importance of responding to these concerns.

 This Council also acknowledges:

·                     That bold climate action can deliver local social and economic benefits in terms of new jobs, economic savings and sustainable livelihood opportunities, as well as improved wellbeing

·                     That individuals cannot be expected to make sufficient carbon emissions reductions on their own and that society needs to change its laws, taxation and infrastructure to make low carbon living easier and enable behavioural change

Mindful of the role that local authorities can have in combatting climate change this Council notes that:

·                     Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, along with other local and regional authorities, has a role in contributing towards the achievement of national, legally binding targets

·                     Epsom & Ewell Borough Council has already started a journey when it comes to addressing the issue of climate breakdown through: carrying out its Green Infrastructure Study (2013), active support of local biodiversity and land management policies which help to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change; introduction of Simply Weekly which has increased Borough recycling; supporting the successful bid for step-free access at Stoneleigh Station which it hopes will reduce car journeys and harmful CO2 emissions.

This Council therefore agrees:

(1)          “To establish its own climate change action plan, with targets to cut its environmental impact and steps to become carbon neutral.

(2)          To ensure that the plan is provided to the Environment and Safe Communities Committee and subsequently ratified by Full Council within the next 6 months

(3)          That regular updates on progress against the ratified plan are brought to the Environment and Safe Communities committee and provided annually to Full Council

(4)          To work with our partners across the Borough on environmental issues where that will help us individually and collectively to meet our targets.”

An amendment to the motion was MOVED by Councillor Liz Frost and SECONDED by Councillor Steven McCormick:

“to amend the Motion with the addition of an extra bullet point as follows:

(1)          “(3) The climate change action plan is to be reviewed in full annually and updated or amended, if required, to take account of changes in legislation, new best practice, advances in technology or any other changes in circumstances”

(2)          The consequential renumbering of the existing points 3 and 4 to 4 and 5.”

Upon being put the amendment was CARRIED unanimously and became the substantive motion.

A second amendment to the motion was MOVED by Councillor Debbie Monksfield and SECONDED by Councillor Rob Geleit:

“to amend the bullet point (1) of the motion to read:

(1)          To establish its own climate change action plan, with targets to cut its environmental impact and steps to become carbon neutral.  To achieve this the council officers will audit and report on what the council is already doing to reduce its carbon footprint.

Also this Council will ensure the targets include:-

a)            Ways to ensure the impact of climate change is considered in all planning applications.

b)            How residents will be involved and listened to in preparing the carbon reduction plan.”

Upon being put the amendment was CARRIED unanimously and became the substantive motion.

A third amendment to the motion was MOVED by Councillor David Gulland and SECONDED by Councillor Julie Morris:

“to amend the bullet points (1) and (5) of the motion to read (amendments in bold):

(1)          To establish its own climate change action plan, with targets to cut its environmental impact and steps to become carbon neutral by 2045.  To achieve this the council officers will audit and report on what the council is already doing to reduce its carbon footprint.

Also this Council will ensure the targets include:-

a)            Ways to ensure the impact of climate change is considered in all planning applications.

b)            How residents will be involved and listened to in preparing the carbon reduction plan.

(5)          To work cross party and with our partners across the Borough on environmental issues where that will help us individually and collectively to meet our targets.”

Upon being put the amendment was LOST, with 6 being in favour, 25 being against, 3 abstaining and the Mayor not voting.

Following resolution of the amendments, the substantive motion was debated and put to a vote. Upon being put, the motion was CARRIED with 32 being in favour, 2 abstaining and the Mayor not voting.

Accordingly, the Council resolved:

This Council notes that the UK Parliament recently declared a climate change emergency and recognises the importance of continuing to respond to the environmental concerns highlighted by the on-going global and national debate.

Epsom and Ewell Council recognises the serious and accelerating changes to the world caused by climate change, as well as the importance of responding to these concerns.

This Council also acknowledges:

·                     That bold climate action can deliver local social and economic benefits in terms of new jobs, economic savings and sustainable livelihood opportunities, as well as improved wellbeing

·                     That individuals cannot be expected to make sufficient carbon emissions reductions on their own and that society needs to change its laws, taxation and infrastructure to make low carbon living easier and enable behavioural change

Mindful of the role that local authorities can have in combatting climate change this Council notes that:

·                     Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, along with other local and regional authorities, has a role in contributing towards the achievement of national, legally binding targets

·                     Epsom & Ewell Borough Council has already started a journey when it comes to addressing the issue of climate breakdown through: carrying out its Green Infrastructure Study (2013), active support of local biodiversity and land management policies which help to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change; introduction of Simply Weekly which has increased Borough recycling; supporting the successful bid for step-free access at Stoneleigh Station which it hopes will reduce car journeys and harmful CO2 emissions.

This Council therefore agrees:

(1)          To establish its own climate change action plan, with targets to cut its environmental impact and steps to become carbon neutral.  To achieve this the council officers will audit and report on what the council is already doing to reduce its carbon footprint.

Also this Council will ensure the targets include:-

a)            Ways to ensure the impact of climate change is considered in all planning applications.

b)           How residents will be involved and listened to in preparing the carbon reduction plan.

(2)          To ensure that the plan is provided to the Environment and Safe Communities Committee and subsequently ratified by Full Council within the next 6 months

(3)          The climate change action plan is to be reviewed in full annually and updated or amended, if required, to take account of changes in legislation, new best practice, advances in technology or any other changes in circumstances

(4)          That regular updates on progress against the ratified plan are brought to the Environment and Safe Communities committee and provided annually to Full Council

(5)          To work with our partners across the Borough on environmental issues where that will help us individually and collectively to meet our targets.

Motion 2: “Polling Stations”

In pursuance of the Council’s Rules of Procedure, Councillor David Gulland MOVED and Councillor Eber Kington SECONDED the following motion:

“This Council agrees that it will no longer use any schools that, in order to act as a polling station, would have to close for the day.  It will provide polling districts which have been accustomed to using such schools with alternative polling stations as near as possible to that polling district.”

The motion was debated and put to a vote. Upon being put, the motion was CARRIED unanimously.

Accordingly, the Council resolved:

This Council agrees that it will no longer use any schools that, in order to act as a polling station, would have to close for the day.  It will provide polling districts which have been accustomed to using such schools with alternative polling stations as near as possible to that polling district.

Motion 3: “Climate Emergency”

The third motion set out in the agenda papers, titled “Climate Emergency” was withdrawn by its proposer, Councillor David Gulland.