Agenda and minutes

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 16 September 2021.

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 September 2021 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillor Dewhirst declared an interest in respect of Minute no.67 as Devon County Councils Member on the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority Committee.

To note forthcoming decisions anticipated on the Executive Forward Plan

RESOLVED that the Forward Plan be noted.

The Executive Member for Climate Change, Coastal Protection and Flooding presented the report to update Members regarding shellfish collection and to offer support to the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority in the management of the resource.

Members commented that the informal and largely unregulated public collection of shellfish was a challenging local issue. Members asked officers to explore if the Exe Estuary Management Partnership, Teign Estuary and Coastal Partnership or South East Devon Habitats Regulations Partnership would be able to assist a Byelaw creation process.

RESOLVED that the:-

(1)            Report be noted;

(2)            Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority be supported in efforts to manage the shellfisheries in the Teign and Exe Estuaries; and

(3)            Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority be recommended to adopt either a sectoral or geographical approach to prioritise the early adoption of an appropriate Byelaw.

The vote was unanimous.

For the Executive to consider their response to the Notice of Motion on the Environment submitted by Cllr Macgregor to the Full Council 20th September 2021

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 largest public opinion poll in history, which demonstrates that 2/3rds of people agree that climate change is a "global emergency". 1.2 million people have been questioned in 50 countries. 81% of UK residents questioned also agreed there was  ...  view the full agenda text for item 68.

The Executive considered the Notice of Motion on the Environment submitted by Cllr Macgregor to the Full Council 20th September 2021. The Executive Member for Climate Change, Coastal Protection and Flooding comment that as the Environment Bill was near the end of its passage through Parliament this Notice of Motion would be withdrawn.

RESOLVED that this Notice of Motion be withdrawn.

The vote was unanimous.

For the Executive to consider their response to the Notice of Motion on the submitted by the Leader on Giving the Community a stronger voice in local planning to the Full Council 20th September 2021

GIVING THE COMMUNITY A STRONGER VOICE IN LOCAL PLANNING

Teignbridge Council notes:

The significant concerns expressed through the ballot box in Chesham & Amersham over the Conservative Government's Planning Reforms.

The concessions already made to Conservative backbench MPs concerns about the impact of planning deregulation.

Local residents concerns about their reduced ability to object to building works under Permitted Development Rights which have been extended under this Government.

Widespread concerns and condemnation of the Planning White Paper proposals across Local Government, The Planning and Architecture Sector, and organisations concerned with protecting green spaces and heritage.

Council is concerned that:

Government proposals to deregulate planning will remove the already limited rights of residents to influence or object to inappropriate development where they live.

The Government's proposals will decimate the character of our district and give carte blanche to developers to build what they please across large 'zones' without needing planning permission.

Council believes that:

Residents have the right to an improved say over development that will change the area they live in.

Local councils, in consultation with their residents and businesses are best placed to understand the issues in their area and respond with a spatial strategy tailored to that area.

Council calls for the Government to:

Scrap its Planning White Paper and instead

· Undertake a wholesale review of Permitted Development Rights

· Make the Government's Planning Inspectorate more accountable to local people

· Implement stronger controls to ensure Ministers making decisions on planning applications are not connected either financially or personally with the developers or related parties to the application.

The Leader in presenting the Notice of Motion on Giving the Community a stronger voice in local planning commented that in light of recent Central Government announcements as to changes to the Planning White paper the Notice of Motion would be withdrawn.

Members raised concerns regarding changes to permitted development rights which reduced local authorities’ control of planning in their districts.

RESOLVED that the Notice of Motion be withdrawn.

The vote was unanimous.