Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, District Council Offices, Crowmarsh Gifford. View directions

Contact: Mrs Jennifer Thompson  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

7.

Declaration of interest

Minutes:

Councillor David Harvey declared a personal interest in the Green Deal (Minute 5) as he was appointed to represent West Oxfordshire District Council as a director on the board of the United Sustainable Energy Agency. He remained in the room and took part in the debate but took no part in decisions relating to that item.

8.

Addresses and questions to the partnership

Members of the public wishing to speak to the partnership for up to five minutes must register with the committee clerk named above by noon on Thursday 25 October.

Minutes:

There were no addresses or questions from members of the public.

9.

Minutes, 22 June 2012

Purpose: To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Oxfordshire Environment Partnership meeting held on 22 June 2012 and to receive information arising from them.

 

An update on the Local Nature Partnership will be given.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Oxfordshire Environment Partnership meeting held on 22 June 2012 were approved.

 

The partnership noted that further to minute 6, the Local Nature Partnership has gained formal partnership status from DEFRA, formed a board, and has funding for a co-ordinator until December 2012. The partnership is looking for projects to demonstrate its work. There is now a website, a community guide, and a proposal to develop a wood fuel depot.

10.

Low Carbon Hub

Wendy Twist of the Low Carbon Hub will give a presentation.                      10:05

There is no accompanying report.

 

Purpose: To highlight work being done to support by local communities through the Low Carbon Hub launched in December 2011 with support from Oxford City and Oxfordshire County Council and to identify opportunities and potential for collaboration or support.

Minutes:

Wendy Twist of the Low Carbon Hub gave a presentation.

 

She explained the work of the Low Carbon Hub and some of the projects supported. There were over 60 local community low carbon groups in the county. The hub was funded from grants and income from revenue-generating projects. The hub encouraged community groups to replicate successful work elsewhere, start projects, and engage their local communities. There was a long-term target to reduce demand create renewable energy equivalent to saving the output of Didcot A power station – a tough but realisable goal.

 

The partnership noted the presentation and the work of the Hub and thanked Ms Twist for her presentation.

11.

Green Deal update pdf icon PDF 42 KB

Report attached.                                                                                             10:20

 

Purpose: To consider in further detail options and recommendations developed on the basis of previous meetings and discussions and to endorse the recommendations in report.

Minutes:

The partnership considered a report from Oxfordshire County Council’s carbon programme manager summarising the current position with the Green Deal and the options offered by United Sustainable Energy Agency.

 

Companies can register and households can sign up from 1 October 2012 and work can start at the end of January 2013.

 

DECC have launched a bidding round for grants to be spent by March 2013 and councils were invited to bid.

 

The partnership notes that Cherwell District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, and West Oxfordshire District Council have signed or have agreed to sign a deal with United Sustainable Energy Agency and that Oxford City Council have separate arrangements for the Green Deal.

12.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Report attached                                                                                              10:40

 

Purpose: to provide an annual report to the partnership summarising the reports from all six local authorities in Oxfordshire to show progress against the agreed target of a 3% reduction in carbon emissions year on year.

Minutes:

The partnership considered the annual report to the partnership summarising the reports from all six local authorities in Oxfordshire to show progress against the agreed target of a 3% reduction in carbon emissions year on year. The reductions had been achieved in a variety of ways including reducing assets, reducing business mileage, encouraging reductions in contractors’ energy use, and energy reduction schemes in council buildings.

 

The partnership:

·        noted good progress in achieving the target reductions;

·        asked that officers provide the Low Carbon Hub with a summary of the report for their website;

·        agreed that the partnership and the Waste Partnership publicise the reductions.

13.

Chairman's announcements

Ten-minute break for refreshments                                                   10:50

 

ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED JOINTLY WITH THE OXFORDSHIRE WASTE PARTNERSHIP

Minutes:

There were no announcements.

MATTERS CONSIDERED JOINTLY WITH THE OXFORDSHIRE WASTE PARTNERSHIP

14.

Local Government Association's Climate Local Commitment

Report attached.                                                                                             11:00

 

Purpose: to inform the Partnership about the launch and aims of Climate Local, and the potential benefits of signing up.

 

Recommendation: the Environment and Waste Partnership consider signing the commitment as Climate Local Oxfordshire, and to bring forward pledges to subsequent meeting.

Minutes:

The Environment Partnership and the Waste Partnership considered a report summarising the Climate Local initiative launched by the Local Government Association.

 

The partnerships agreed there was a positive presumption among partner authorities to sign Climate Local as a partnership and to draw the commitments from the Oxfordshire 2030 priorities, but that each authority should establish their ability to commit the resources required before signing.

 

The Environment Partnership and the Waste Partnership agreed to invite the Local Authority Working Group to present options for further development to the next meeting of the Partnership in January 2013, along with an assessment of resource requirements, with a view to signing Climate Local as “Climate Local Oxfordshire”, subject to availability of resources.

15.

Oxfordshire Green Schools end of year report: Groundwork Trust pdf icon PDF 45 KB

Report attached.                                                                                             11:10

There will be a presentation by the Groundwork Trust

 

Purpose: to report on performance in the first year of the new joint contract awarded by the partnership and to recommend any action which may need to be taken as a result of issues highlighted in the report.

Minutes:

Richard Pollard gave a presentation on the work of the Groundwork Trust in schools during 2011/12. The Oxfordshire Green Schools programme had delivered 330 activities over 170 visits, and 18 schools were either established or being recruited as green hub schools. The Trust had run a very successful green entrepreneur competition. There were good opportunities to share good practice across schools and through community and school events. Schools were audited to measure reductions in energy use and visits, workshops and projects were evaluated and feedback from schools was very positive.

 

The Environment Partnership and the Waste Partnership noted the report of the Groundwork Trust and the work it was undertaking in schools.

 

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