Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed members to the first meeting of the Environment and Climate Action Scrutiny Panel in the new municipal year.  The Chair also welcomed Cabinet Members and Officers, Councillor Ergin Erbil, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member, Councillor Rick Jewell, Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder for Environment, together with Sarah Cary, Executive Director – Place.

Councillor Mahmut Aksanoglu substituted for Councillor Eylem Yuruk, from whom apologies had been received.

Apologies were also received from Councillor Hivran Dalkaya.

Members of the Committee are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to the items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest registered in respect of any items on the agenda.

The Chair to introduce the purpose of the meeting.

The Chair explained that the purpose of this meeting was to receive details of priorities for the coming municipal year, including key issues, and then for the members to prioritise items for the work programme.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2022.

AGREED the minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2022.

To note, for information, the attached Terms of Reference for the Environment & Climate Action Scrutiny Panel.

The terms of reference were received and noted.

The Scrutiny Panel will hear from the Cabinet Member and Officers outlining priorities and areas of challenge.

Cabinet Members and Officers will be asked to leave the meeting at this point.

Councillor Rick Jewell, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Cabinet Member presented the local priorities for 2022/23, which was endorsed by Councillor Ergin Erbil, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member.

1.    Waste & Recycling

Decarbonise more council vehicle fleets.  Increase engagement with residents to emphasis the responsibility of the content of the bins and cross contamination. Increase recycling educational sessions in schools. Fly tipping – continue to identify, tackle and enforce offenders. Increase access to recycling facilities for all flats and bulk waste from streets. Sorting waste deposited in general bins e.g. parks.

2.    Wetlands

Delivery of 10 new wetlands and introduce greater biodiversity and regeneration, such as grazing cattle and flying-ants.

3.    School Streets and Quieter Low Traffic Neighbourhoods

Creation of 50 new School Streets.

4.    Climate

Continue to transfer the Council’s current fossil fuel refuge fleet to electric vehicles. Increase in the provision of electric vehicle charging points.

The Executive Director – Place, Sarah Cary made the following contributions:

5.    Strategy and Policies

Climate Action Plan – to be refreshed following declaration of the manifesto pledges following the elections.  An update to Council for approval to go out to consultation and in January 2023 or Spring 2023 to go out for consultation before a though review of the Climate Action Plan.

6.    Parking Strategy

The rationale and management of parking across the Borough.

7.    Enfield Forest/Chase

Planting of 1 million trees to create a new Enfield Forest, the long-term plans, including landscaping. 

8.    Waste and Recycling

Significant service changes for recycling and fly-tipping.

9.    Healthy Streets

Following Cabinet approval these will be progressed throughout the year.

10. Climate

Air quality and air pollution number of changes following the Environment Bill when Royal Assent had been received.  There were implications for the Local Authority combined with eh recovery strategy.

11. Park Management

A review of the Council’s public open spaces would be carried out.

The Executive Director – Place responded to several questions from Panel Members as follows:

·       The Council’s overall climate policy would influence the building of Council owned buildings. Consideration was currently being given to the details of a further site for a new Eco park to serve the Borough for waste recycling together with possible changes to the pattern of bin collection across the Borough and would be known later in the year. 

·       The Council had a relatively small role to play regarding the initiative to reduce domestic gas consumption and to promote greener energy, which was a government lead scheme.  New buildings would be regulated and enforced through Building Regulations.

·       The review of the parking strategy and roll out of additional electric vehicle charging points would be included in a progress report, also later in the year.  It was likely that there would be policy changes and an increase in a government support grant.  The strategy would promote the reduction of car usage and encourage walking.  The Council’s current parking strategy based the cost of parking permits on engine size rather than carbon omissions. 

Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To agree and prioritise items for the Work Programme 2022/23.

Members of the Environment and Climate Actions Scrutiny Panel, during the discussion which ensued, AGREED that:

·       The presentations on the 2022/23 local priorities received from the Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Rick Jewell and the Executive Director – Place, Sarah Cary be welcomed and noted;

·       Two to three items be considered at each scheduled meeting as agreed at Annual Council on 25 May 2022;

·       Following the meeting, the draft 2022/23 work programme for the Environment and Climate Action Scrutiny Panel, as attached as Appendix A, be circulated to all Members of the Panel, who will, through the Chair, be circulated to the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration with all the draft work programmes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Scrutiny Panels to ensure there is no overlap or duplication of topics;

·       The draft 2022/23 work programmes for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Scrutiny Panels be referred to Cabinet on 14 September 2022 and Council on 21 September 2022 for ratification and approval, endorsement.

To note the dates of future meetings as follows:

Tuesday 11 October 2022

Tuesday 17 January 2023

Tuesday 14 March 2023

These meetings will commence at 7:00pm and will be held in the Conference Room at the Civic Centre.

The dates of the future meetings were noted.

ACTION: Chair to request additional meeting, possibly in December or January.