[To receive a progress report of the first year of the council’s joint Sustainability Implementation Plan and Climate Local Action Plan, including the monitoring report for 2013-14 and to comment on the priority actions for the future to inform the review of the Implementation Plan.]
Minutes:
Cllr John Reynolds introduced the report. Ric Bravery and Keren Jones provided a report to inform the Scrutiny Panel of progress in the first year of the Council’s joint Sustainability Implementation Plan and to seek comments on the priority actions to inform the review of the Implementation Plan which is currently being undertaken.
During consideration of the report several points were considered:
· The Sustainability Advisory Group meets three or four times a year to consider and provide guidance on the promotion of sustainability in the City. The group has met for two years and is making good progress.
· The Sustainability Strategy and Implementation Plan was approved by Cabinet in July 2014 and replaced a number of documents.
· The Strategy remains relevant and the Implementation Plan is being reviewed to make it more focussed on a few key areas and take advantage of opportunities provided by partnerships and funding, in particular through Black Country LEP
· Attention was focussed upon the red and amber indicators outlined in the report.
· Two red indicators relate to the Green Deal. The Green Deal was launched in October 2012 to allow residents to self-fund energy efficiency measures to their own homes supported by the Energy Company Obligation, however has failed to take off. Subsequent changes announced in the Autumn Statement in December 2013 changed the emphasis of ECO away from “hard to treat” properties back to cavities and lofts with ECO funding spread over four years rather than two. This has meant that Council’s plans to develop a city-wide coordinated offer has not been possible and the programme to improve the Council’s own housing stock has been delayed. The remaining red indicator related to a sustainable procurement policy; this was now being addressed in discussions with the Acting Head of Procurement.
Keren Jones outlined the proposed outcomes and measures for sustainability:
The debate that followed raised several points of interest:
The Cabinet Member thanked the Scrutiny Panel for the invitation to consider the Sustainability Improvement Plan and advised that Wolverhampton is leading Authority on green growth and the low carbon agenda for the Black Country LEP.
Resolved:
1. That officers consider the potential in planning policy, such as the Black Country Core Strategy review and Area Action Plans, and in dealing with planning applications, to ensure that new developments maximise the energy efficiency of buildings and the potential to generate renewable and low carbon energy.
2. That officers are requested to consider the case for licensing all private landlords in the city following the pilot in the Blakenhall area
3. That all Councillors are briefed on the Sustainability Strategy and Implementation Plan and are made aware of the breadth of issues which sustainability covers and of the successes achieved in the city
4. That the forthcoming Active Travel Strategy/ Cycling Strategy review and associated action plans address the barriers which prevent more people cycling and walking in the city, in particular the provision for infrastructure and access for cyclists and pedestrians in the design of new developments.
5. That there should be a programme across the city’s schools to educate young people about issues relating to sustainability and recycling.
6. That Cabinet recommend to Government that fire safety labels on furniture should be in the form of secure labels rather than tags to avoid accidental removal.
7. That Scrutiny Board approve an update report to the Vibrant Safe and Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Panel 23 April 2015 to include a presentation from Wolverhampton Homes of the work it is doing to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty in the social housing which it manages.
Supporting documents: