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 3rd 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 a Climate Emergency.
Council believes that –
- As a District, as a Nation, as a World, we are currently fighting two potentially cataclysmic emergencies. The Government must urgently make and enact a serious Plan to address the climate and ecological emergencies.
- The Government must urgently listen to the suggestions of environmental organisations in the UK, in order to tighten the proposed regulations in the Environment Bill, including to;
- Further protect food import standards
- Set a target date for the removal of deforestation from supply chains
- Set air pollution targets in line with WHO guidelines
- Introduce legally binding targets on loss of nature
- Introduce legally binding targets on plastics reduction
- Make a legal commitment to protect 30% of UK land for nature
- Reintroduce the ban on neonicotinoids.
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- Teignbridge District Council is committed to do all it can to address the climate and ecological emergencies but needs government to provide the legislative framework via the Environment Bill, to fulfil its ambitions for our District.
- Motion Teignbridge District Council will –
- Write to our MP’s and Sec of State for the Environment urging them to ensure that the time delay to the Environment Bill is used to ensure the following improvements are incorporated,
- Further protect food import standards
- Set a target date for the removal of deforestation from supply chains
- Set air pollution targets in line with WHO guidelines
- Introduce legally binding targets on loss of nature
- Introduce legally binding targets on plastics reduction
- Make a legal commitment to protect 30% of UK land for nature
- Reintroduce the ban on neonicotinoids.
The following motion has been presented by Cllr Eden and supported by Cllrs Bradford, Daws, Macgregor, Orme and Patch.
Background provided by Cllr Eden to the Motion:
There are quite a number of gaps that have developed in the Standards Process – some highlighted in my previous motion on Standards Hearings procedure. There also needs to be a wider more precise application of what is or isn’t acceptable in terms of conflict of interest.
Recently, this council had to resort to requesting an intervention from the PAS (Planning Advisory Service) over a matter that from the perspective of the general public should be quite clear cut.
From my experience chairing ethics committees in the NHS and from my professional training in matters of conflict and probity, it is clear that the result of the PAS report was far from satisfactory. We need to sharpen our focus on conflict or interest and raise the standard of those definitions.
Doing so will reduce the possibility of a councillor having their impartiality, integrity or probity being called into account.
Wording of Motion proposed by Cllr Eden:-
With that in mind, I would like to propose that the following definitions are added or amended.
1) The definition of a Conflict of Interest to be extended (in respect of family and friends) for all elected members to reflect the high standards set by the Charity Commission in respect of a ‘Connected Person’ - defined as follows;
“Connected person: In broad terms this means family, relatives or business partners of a councillor, as well as businesses in which a councillor has an interest through ownership or influence. The term includes a councillor’s spouse or unmarried partner, or civil partner, children, siblings, grandchildren and grandparents, as well as businesses where a councillor or family member holds at least one-fifth of the shareholding or voting rights.”
The Council’s legal team would be able to advise (where there is any doubt), but such advice should be made a public record.
2) Conflicts of Loyalty to be introduced as a notifiable requirement. This is defined as follows;
“Conflict of loyalty: This means a particular type of conflict of interest, in which a councillor’s loyalty or duty to another person or organisation could prevent the councillor from making a decision only in the best interests of the council or the residents.”
3) Register of interests to include membership of ANY organisation that the member knows an officer of the council is also a member – for instance; Freemasons, professional bodies etc. Devon County Council requires members notify their membership of the Freemasons and TDC should do so right away.
This is an extension of the second point in the motion about Conflicts of Loyalty but deals potentially with influence exerted externally on, or by a councillor or officer.
Minutes:
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.