Issue - meetings

M Gaynor introduced the Climate Change report and asked Committee if there were any questions.

Cllr England thanked Officers for the report and stated that APSE were credible so it makes sense to work with them.  He asked how we can encourage community buy in and that perhaps Scope three isn’t wide enough.  M Gaynor said that Scope 3 was largely from assets  out of our direct control and included our 10,000+ Council homes and other leased properties and the target was now aligned to the national target of 2050 though we will make efforts to achieve this earlier.  The 2050 aim for the Borough as a whole t will take a combination of ways to reach our goals but it is something that local people can get involved in.  There will also need to be some stimulation from Government.  We will be dramatically improving the website to the degree which will facilitate engagement from interested groups and everyday people.

Cllr England commented that the changes to the website are good, but in the last year he was unable to recall any messages preparing people for this.  Cllr England asked what else is planned that will change perceptions and habits.  M Gaynor replied that the report is headline terms only and there had been consistent coverage of the Council’s work on sustainability.  We’ve also recently appointed a Climate Change Officer, who will be looking at the website and explore direct communication, involvement and improvement as a priority.

Cllr England urged Officers and Portfolio Holders that our response needs to be far more than just the web, the Council needs to have authoritative leadership messages.  M Gaynor advised that we could do this now that we have got a baseline, a trusted source of information which we aim to use.

Cllr Bassadone mentioned heating sources and asked if we were still putting in boilers.  M Gaynor advised the government has already stipulated that you can’t put gas services into new properties from 2025.  There is roughly 9,000 council properties that are gas heated and there isn’t another credible source that can be used at the moment.  Air/ground source heat pump companies only have capacity for 27,000 homes per year, electric systems are 30% dearer to install and are not as efficient, we will be looking at alternatives as they become available, but it’s unlikely we’ll be able to shift away from gas for some time.  F Williamson added that mixed/hydrogen boilers are in production which are capable of being replaced with full hydrogen, we can only work with what’s available on the market.  Boiler replacements all meet A or A+ ratings so we are improving our position. There is also a shift towards district heating systems but primarily on new sites as issues with ownership and infrastructure make retrofitting more difficult. 

Cllr Freedman asked if the Climate Change Officer will be introduced to Members.  M Gaynor confirmed that would be okay, many Members will know her as it’s  Melanie Parr and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40