Agenda item

To consider the attached motion from Cllr Brian Mathew, asking the Council to declare its support for the Climate and Ecology Bill and to write to all Wiltshire MPs to support it.

Councillor Dr Brian Mathew proposed the Motion which was seconded by Councillor Gavin Grant. The motion called for the Council to declare its support for the proposed Climate and Ecology Bill and request Wiltshire’s Members of Parliament to publicly declare their support for it.

Statements were then received from the following members of the public:

·       Adrian Temple-Brown

·       Mel Molem

·       Andrew Nicolson

The Chairman then invited Councillor Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Development Management, Strategic Planning and Climate Change an opportunity to respond to the motion and any points raised in the public statements. He confirmed that the private members Bill in question had been proposed by Caroline Lucas MP and it was very likely that the Bill, at its second reading, would not proceed much further in Parliament due to a lack of increased support.

Councillor Botterill suggested that it would be more appropriate for the Council to focus on issues that it would be able to influence and referred to the Environment Bill which would have far reaching impacts on how the Council currently operates. In relation to reference to Citizens Assemblies raised by some speakers he indicated that the Houses of Parliament was in fact already undertaking the role being suggested for a Citizens Assembly. He urged the Council to not be distracted by the motion and to wait for the Environment Bill to become an Act of Parliament, with the expectation that this would take place very soon.

The Chairman moved that the Council debate the motion, which was seconded by the Vice-Chairman.

Group Leaders were then invited to comment upon the motion.

Councillor Richard Clewer, Leader of the Council, commented on the Environment Bill and explained that it was a Bill to make provision about targets, plans and policies for improving the natural environment, environmental protection, waste and resource efficiency, air quality, environmental standards, water, nature, biodiversity and conservation. He further commented on the suggestion for a Citizens Assembly, indicating that the Council was unable to dictate how the local Members of Parliament voted in Parliament and that Members were democratically elected unlike the proposals for a Citizens Assembly. He highlighted work already undertaken by the Council and those areas progressing, which included an 80% reduction in emissions within the control of the Council, with a target of zero emissions by 2030, council housing being built to net zero and the insulation of existing council homes, continual lobbying of government in relation to house building, and the investment of £88m to reduce carbon emissions by the Council.

Councillor Gordon King, on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group, encouraged Members to vote on the motion as they wished but hoped all would consider the matter independently. He noted the importance of protecting climate and ecology in an integrated way as proposed in the Bill and that much work was still needed.

Councillor Ricky Rogers, Leader of the Labour Group, noted it was healthy for the council to debate its different views on this issue, and that the topic of the motion was of interest to many people and that there were times when the council could use its voice to demonstrate on a point and supported the motion.

The Chairman then opened the item for debate.

Comments in opposition to the motion included that the council was making significant progress in takin action to reduce emissions despite the perception of some groups and criticised the actions of protestors such as Extinction Rebellion. Several comments disagreed with the proposals within the Bill regarding Citizens Assemblies, with councils at various tiers able to democratically represent views and take actions. Others highlighted that the proposed Bill was being amended and it would be inappropriate to express support for a motion not in its final form.

Comments in support of the motion included highlighting a climate assembly established by Parliament in 2019 and which had not led to great radicalism and there was confusion regarding the role and nature of such assemblies that addressing climate change was not about politics, that the proposed Bill was more ambitious than the government proposals and the council should show its support for that to influence national policy given the importance of climate and ecological issues across the council area, nationally and globally.

During the course of debate the meeting was adjourned from 12.40pm – 12.50pm due to a public disturbance.

At the conclusion of debate Cllr Mathew thanked Members for their comments and asked for a recorded vote on the motion, which was supported by the necessary number of Members. Following a vote the motion was lost.

It was therefore,

Resolved:

That the motion not be supported

Note: A record of the vote is appended to these minutes.

For – 30

Against – 50

Abstain - 2