Agenda item

Committee to note the key themes and policy thinking of using the Covid-19 recovery to accelerate and prioritise green initiatives and contribute to climate change action and how this could impact the progression and steer of the projects within the Climate Emergency Year One Work Programme 2020/21.

Insight and policy manager gave a brief introduction to the report, which is an overview of the government response to Covid-19 and Green Recovery to give greater impetus to climate change actions. How do we wish to consider reprioritising, refocus and re-comment or add to projects in the one year work programme, to align with emerging national recovery programmes and the South Oxfordshire District Corporate Plan which is being reviewed later in this meeting.

The points raised by the committee are outlined as follows:

• Page 2 – The committee questioned what is meant by resilient.
• Page 3 – job creation needs to specify green jobs as a priority for the area.
• More promotion of pedestrianisation was supported, for health and air quality benefits. Pedestrianisation also eases social distancing.
• It was supported that we should specify zero carbon in build and operations for new developments.
• Discussion was had regarding the mechanisms of asking for zero carbon build. Can we look at other Authorities? We aren’t enforcing code 4 on sustainable homes currently although allowed in the old local plan which is still in use. Planning permissions were relaxed during the Covid-19 outbreak. We have a budget in the one-year work programme for an enforcement officer, focused on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), and within that post we hope there could be the opportunity to include some additional planning enforcement activity. Where appropriate to do so, we should ask developers to build carbon zero. The more we ask, making it a common request, the more success we may have.
• Page 3 – please add rewilding to this item.
• It was confirmed that the committee could ask for carbon zero via the new design guide. Must comply with current planning policies but can be put in as a request. Workshops to be held soon with task and finish group – raise this issue here.
• Can we ask developers to include biodiversity supporting features such as swift boxes, bee friendly features and so on.
• 5^th bullet point – can we clarify what clean heat grant is?
• Discussed the recent active transport funding via Oxfordshire County Council – there was only 1 week to make a request – so it was agreed we need to have “shovel ready” projects that are ready to go when funds emerge.
• Mechanisms were discussed for making requests to planning applications – discussed how much statute can be brought to planning determination. Statute trumps the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) guidance. Current statute of being carbon zero by 2050 could be brought into applications now. How far can statute be used in determination. Future discussion / write to the Chair of Planning Committee and the Head of Planning, after first exploring legal aspects with Legal.

RESOLVED: to seek legal advice on whether statute and law can override the old local plan that is currently in use.

Other discussion points continue as follows:

• It was requested that the committee should feed upwards to Council
• Should we be working on skills/ apprenticeships seeing as we have the local business links
• Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) have implemented some improvement measures for cycling such as verge clearing, but it was expressed that it would be better to not spread the funding so thinly, and to divert funds to a few ambitious projects, such as cycle routes between town and village – safety measures that would encourage more to cycle and or walk. Safety concerns regarding cycling and walking between village and town were considered by the committee.

The Cabinet member for environment agreed to feed this back to the County Council.

• Tranche 1 of OCC funding was to existing routes and bike racks. Tranche 2 will be due shortly – please talk to county councillors about what is available to us.
• We need to create a list of requirements – ready for when funds become available, and for the public to see what is coming up. Added that some roadside cycle lanes are being improved as we speak.

The committee asked for a future agenda item to collate a list of requirements of an Oxfordshire Infrastructure Strategy and:

the Oxfordshire Plan 2050. Recommendations to go to Cabinet and Council.