Issue - meetings

Notice of Motion’s shall be referred to the appropriate Committee meeting. The mover of the motion can outline the proposal and then it will stand adjourned. The motion may be debated to assist debate later if agreed by two-thirds of Council Members.

Notice of Motion 1

The following motion on the Environment has been presented by Cllr MacGregor and supported by Cllrs H Cox, Daws, G Hook and Parker

Background

Council Notes that –

-        This Council has declared its commitment to address the Climate and Ecological Emergencies via Declarations made in April 2019 and Sept 2020 respectively. We are also signatories to the Devon Carbon Declaration and being recognised as a leader in District Council responses to the twin emergencies.

-        The Council has fulfilled the initial commitments we made at Full Council in Sept 2019 including employing a Climate Change Officer. We have completed our 2018/19 Carbon Footprint and have identified and funded projects to address the Council’s top 15 emissions sites.

-        The Council has made substantial progress in other areas including through our Local Plan, installing EV charging, promoting district heating schemes, energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofitting of the District’s housing stock, created SANGS at Dawlish and Matford, planted more than 3000 trees and assisted with many other projects to reduce our District’s carbon footprint, as well as protect and improve biodiversity and habitats.

-        Central Government, however, has failed to provide the legislative framework to match Teignbridge District’s Council ambition.

-        The Government has delayed for the 3^rd time the progress of the Environment Bill through Parliament. The Bill; created to enshrine in law environmental principles which will embed environmental values at the heart of government policy making and replacing EU regulations covering areas such as pollution, wildlife protection, air quality, biodiversity and waste reduction. However, the Bill will now not be in place until Autumn 2021, at the earliest.

-        Despite these positive plans, the Government has already taken a backwards direction by reversing the EU ban on the use of neonicotinoids, undermining previous commitments in 2018 that the UK would keep the ban in place post Brexit. Research shows that neonicotinoids are highly toxic chemicals that can persist in the wider ecosystem for some time, potentially to be absorbed by wildflowers that pollinators then visit. In 2018 the government agreed with this research, and there is no new research to dispute this finding.

-        Last year the Committee on Climate Change, the Government’s own independent advisory body stated that steps taken so far by Government “do not deliver adequate progress in addressing even the unavoidable impacts of climate change, let alone the risks of expected levels of global warming of around 3°C above pre-industrial levels”, and that “the delivery of effective new policies must accelerate dramatically if we’re to seize this chance. Progress is generally off-track in most sectors, with only four out of 21 of the indicators on track in 2019.”

-        The United Nations has just produced  ...  view the full agenda text for item 60

Cllr Macgregor presented his Notice of Motion on the Environment. It was proposed by the Chair, seconded by Cllr Macgregor and carried that the Notice of Motion be referred to Executive for consideration.

Cllr Eden presented her Notice of Motion on member’s register of interest changes and proposed that the Notice of Motion be referred to Standards Committee for consideration, this was seconded by Cllr Macgregor and carried.

Cllr Eden presented her Notice of Motion on variations of conditions on major developments (over 20 houses) and proposed that it be referred to Procedures Committee for consideration, this was seconded by Cllr Russell and carried.

The Leader presented his Notice of Motion on giving the community a stronger voice in local planning and proposed that it be referred to Executive for consideration this was seconded by the Chair and carried.

Notice of Motion’s shall be referred to the appropriate Committee meeting. The mover of the motion can outline the proposal and then it will stand adjourned. The motion may be debated to assist debate later if agreed by two-thirds of Council Members.

The following motion on the Environment has been presented by Cllr MacGregor and supported by Cllrs H Cox, Daws, G Hook and Parker

Background

Council Notes that –

-        This Council has declared its commitment to address the Climate and Ecological Emergencies via Declarations made in April 2019 and Sept 2020 respectively. We are also signatories to the Devon Carbon Declaration and being recognised as a leader in District Council responses to the twin emergencies.

-        The Council has fulfilled the initial commitments we made at Full Council in Sept 2019 including employing a Climate Change Officer. We have completed our 2018/19 Carbon Footprint and have identified and funded projects to address the Council’s top 15 emissions sites.

-        The Council has made substantial progress in other areas including through our Local Plan, installing EV charging, promoting district heating schemes, energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofitting of the District’s housing stock, created SANGS at Dawlish and Matford, planted more than 3000 trees and assisted with many other projects to reduce our District’s carbon footprint, as well as protect and improve biodiversity and habitats.

-        Central Government, however, has failed to provide the legislative framework to match Teignbridge District’s Council ambition.

-        The Government has delayed for the 3^rd time the progress of the Environment Bill through Parliament. The Bill; created to enshrine in law environmental principles which will embed environmental values at the heart of government policy making and replacing EU regulations covering areas such as pollution, wildlife protection, air quality, biodiversity and waste reduction. However, the Bill will now not be in place until Autumn 2021, at the earliest.

-        Despite these positive plans, the Government has already taken a backwards direction by reversing the EU ban on the use of neonicotinoids, undermining previous commitments in 2018 that the UK would keep the ban in place post Brexit. Research shows that neonicotinoids are highly toxic chemicals that can persist in the wider ecosystem for some time, potentially to be absorbed by wildflowers that pollinators then visit. In 2018 the government agreed with this research, and there is no new research to dispute this finding.

-        Last year the Committee on Climate Change, the Government’s own independent advisory body stated that steps taken so far by Government “do not deliver adequate progress in addressing even the unavoidable impacts of climate change, let alone the risks of expected levels of global warming of around 3°C above pre-industrial levels”, and that “the delivery of effective new policies must accelerate dramatically if we’re to seize this chance. Progress is generally off-track in most sectors, with only four out of 21 of the indicators on track in 2019.”

-        The United Nations has just produced the results of the  ...  view the full agenda text for item 46

The Chair proposed that as Cllr Macgregor was not present his Notice of Motion be deferred to the next meeting of Full Council, this was seconded by Cllr Bullivant.

RESOLVED that the Notice of Motion be deferred to the next meeting of Full Council.

The Chair proposed that as Cllr Eden was not present her Notice of Motion be deferred to the next meeting of Full Council, this was seconded by Cllr Bullivant.

RESOLVED that the Notice of Motion be deferred to the next meeting of Full Council.