The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “M”) will be submitted to provide an overview of progress on sustainable development and climate action by the Council. It includes key headlines and summarises the wider context for this work including West Yorkshire, national legislative and policy changes from Government.

Recommended –

That Members note the report and that an update report will be submitted in 2022-23

(Jamie Saunders – 01274 434123)

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “M”) was submitted to the Committee and provided an overview of progress made in relation to sustainable development climate action by the Council.  It also included details of key headlines and a summary of the wider context for the work including West Yorkshire, national legislative and policy changes from the Government.

A sustainable development plan was approved by Executive in March 2020, was followed by the adoption of the Council Plan 2021-25 plus the approval by the Wellbeing Board of the District Plan 2021-25.

The disruption of the Covid pandemic was well known and acknowledged and had impacted on the context and progress of developmental challenges and opportunities.  The report also specified the substantial legislative, policy and operational changes relating to environmental management, climate action and sustainable development.

The report detailed a considerable number of actions, initiatives and projects taking place including woodland trust work, sustainable development involving a private sector led Sustainable Development Partnership, engaging with key local businesses to improve food supply systems, low carbon infrastructure and low carbon for fleet vehicles.  The Council continued to work collaboratively with WYCA to take clean growth and environmental resilience forward.  The West Yorkshire Climate and Environment Plan was approved in October 2021 to address decarbonisation.  Engagement work carried out in the summer of 2021 had already led to clean air compliant, low carbon vehicles as part of the Clean Air Programme, contributing to the overall emissions reduction.  The programme was due to run over seven years and the progress already achieved had earned the Authority an award from the LGC in the Climate Response Awards 2021.

The North Sea BEGIN project was now a benchmark for projects to demonstrate innovative and inclusive approaches to regional development, the overall objective being to demonstrate at target sites, how cities could improve climate resilience with Blue Green Infrastructure involving stakeholders.

Funding allocated had not been fully spent due to the ongoing disruptions caused by the pandemic, but these had been rolled over into 2021-22 with capital re-profiled for future years’ delivery.  The report also outlined the external funding and how it was to be used.

The Clean Growth ambition would develop through the next six months to provide improved programming and reporting on initiatives, schemes, delivery and impact across all place-based investment. 

Members were then given the opportunity to comment and ask questions.  The details of these and the responses given are as below.

·         The Chair asked who had benefitted, how, were there any targets in place and how were Wards inputting their ideas etc?

·      Officers advised that a dedicated report would go to each Area Committee and was presented at the relevant meetings.  Officers were looking at the total impact, working with Area Co-ordinators to see what projects had been completed.  Funds were allocated via the Grants Advisory Group (GAG) process

·      Members requested that the details of the works carried out was circulated to them

·      A Member asked for an explanation of what sustainable development was in lay man’s terms

·       Referring to paragraph 5.2 in the report, did the risks identified include flooding?

·       Referring to paragraph 5.5 in the report, how would success be measured post declaration?

·       Were green jobs a result of a shortage in qualified staff?

·      Officers responded that it was a broad topic but summarised that it was ensuring a lasting future to benefit everyone in the District, future generations and the natural world.  He also went on to say that such ‘Wellbeing’ work, led by the Council had been going on for 25 years.  It’s a means of understanding current policy and public interest, shaped by social, economic and environmental concerns and de-carbonisation.  It was a positive and proactive response in the District facing a range of issues where risks could be identified and turned into opportunities.  It was confirmed that flood risk was one of the challenges included.  The fundamental focus on green jobs presented huge opportunities to develop.  There was a real opportunity to match education and skills with applied and professional development, supporting existing businesses as well as underpin the move across all sectors to grow and operate safely, cleanly and inclusively. The Clean Growth ambition would seek to broaden out from the ‘green’ economy – mainly focussed on energy and environmental services – across other sectors like manufacturing, retail, hospitality, arts and creative industries, digital, construction, transport and logistics as well as health and care to enable and support the sustainable jobs the whole district requires – in the short-term and over the next decade.

·       What were the council’s opportunities to retrofit redundant buildings?

·      Officers advised that locked in carbon needed to be addressed to ensure a positive legacy and to re-purpose for future fitness.  Policy environment needed to shift – existing resources could be made more sustainable but could not become net zero.  Re-generation needed to be kept at the core of what we do and must be viable

·         In relation to electric vehicle charging points that were installed, how many were there and how were we encouraging their use?

·         How were we encouraging people to ‘buy in’ to the clean air zone?

·         Members were informed that the clean air zone was the backbone and was a top priority focussed on commercial vehicles initially.  Taxis and bus operators were offered grants to convert.  A fixed strategy would be needed on the application of electric charging points as a priority on the key strategic plan.  A specific agenda item would be brought back to the Committee on the subject of the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) but the focus of the District was on tackling poverty and disadvantage rather than solely onthe environment as these issues were key to local residents.  There were discussions taking place with the university and the local colleges to bring young people into new, sustainable work environments

·       Would the CAZ report be available before the Spring implementation?

·       Officers advised that this information would follow

·       How was the decline in public transport being addressed?

·       Where would the green jobs be?

·       Were the jobs being tracked?

·      Officers responded that major changes were happening via West Yorkshire bus services who had ‘taken a hit.  The Mayor and the Leader were progressing the issue and a great deal of work was going on towards vehicular transition.  A zero carbon bus bid had also been submitted to central Government.  Business cases for £800 million investment had been developed by the Regional Mayor and the 5 West Yorkshire councils for a modern transport system.  Locally, people wanted to look at travelling in a different way, but new green jobs would evolve as companies transitioned etc.  The challenge was training and re-training people at all levels

·       Was there any progress on the towpath in the Aire Valley for cyclists to use?

·      Officers responded that there was work going on to draw down funding for Active Travel to upgrade the towpath to Shipley linking it to other routes like the new Canal Road Greeenway into Bradford centre

Resolved –

That the report be noted and that an update report be submitted in 2022-23

Action: Strategic Director, Place