Agenda item

To consider motions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure rule 38. 

A.   Motion proposed by Councillor Ian Snowdon, seconded by Councillor Caroline Newton.

Council notes that it has appointed a cycling champion to promote the benefits of cycling and a River Thames champion to promote the river and all it brings to our district. As much as the River Thames is a wonderful asset enjoyed by many for which the council has an obligation to protect and enhance, Council notes that our beautiful(mostly green) district is that way because of our amazing countryside and wildlife which should also be protected and enhanced.

 Council therefore agrees to appoint a Tree Champion to:

·         Promote the value of trees and woodlands in tackling the climate and ecological emergencies

·         Encourage people to re-connect with nature and appreciate the importance of trees and woodlands for both environmental and human health and well-being

·         Promote woodland protection/conservation and tree growing initiatives in the district  

·         Work with officers and members to develop and promote a Tree Policy and Strategy 

·         Raise awareness of the statutory protections for trees and woodland within local communities, town and parish councils.

B.   Motion proposed by Councillor Sam Casey-Rerhaye, seconded by Councillor David Rouane.

Council has adopted a new Corporate Plan that has as one of its main priorities: ‘Protect and Restore the Natural World’. In the consultation exercise on this Plan, this theme was ranked the most important by a high number of respondents. This Council has already, rightly, declared a climate emergency (April 2019).

 Council acknowledges that:

• Our societies and economies are intimately linked with and depend on biodiversity and nature. The natural world is essential for the provision of nutritious food (with soil and pollinators having a vital role), clean water, clean air, medicines, and protection from extreme weather, as well as being our source of energy and raw materials
• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the relationship between people and nature. When we destroy and degrade habitats, we increase the risk of disease spill-over from wildlife to people
• The State of Nature 2019 report highlighted the critical decline in biodiversity in the UK. Changes in farming practices have had the biggest effect in recent decades and the impact of climate change is now increasing. 15% of UK species are classified as threatened with extinction and 2% are already extinct
• The State of the World's Plants and Fungi 2020 report from Royal Botanic Gardens Kew estimated that 39.4% of plants are now threatened with extinction. This is a jump from one in five plants thought to be at risk in Kew's 2016 report
• The Environment Bill will require the introduction of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Nature Recovery Networks
• Actions to restore nature and biodiversity, as well as being vital for their own sake, often have an important co-benefit of storing carbon, so help address climate change
• People’s access to ‘green spaces’ to understand and appreciate biodiversity and a rich, natural world, private or public, is unequal

Council resolves to:

1. Declare an ecological emergency
2. Rename CEAC the Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee, to help Cabinet and council officers address these twin emergencies
3. Add ecological impact implications alongside those for climate and sustainability in committee and council reports.
4. Ensure that addressing the climate and ecological emergencies and nature recovery are considered as strategic priorities for planning policies and design guides for new development, including master-planning of sites, by identifying appropriate areas for habitat restoration and biodiversity net gain and ensuring that development limits impact on existing habitats in its process, whilst also working on the principle of increasing equality of access for people to natural, green spaces
5. Establish a Biodiversity Steering Group involving both key officers and members to oversee and develop the Councils approach to nature protection and recovery
6. Set measurable targets and standards for biodiversity increase, in both species and quantities, seeking also to increase community engagement
7. Work with our partners to establish a Local Nature Partnership for Oxfordshire as soon as possible, in keeping with the urgency of this declaration
8. Work with our partners to develop Nature Recovery Networks and Nature Recovery Strategy for Oxfordshire, again in keeping with the urgency of this declaration
9. Look for opportunities to work in partnership with local charities and environmental organisations to deliver nature recovery in South Oxfordshire
10. Develop a district wide Tree Planting Policy and Strategy, including having Member Tree Champions, to support nature protection and recovery and carbon sequestration
11. Build on the work of the Thames Champion to improve the ecology of the Thames and its banks and flood plains, a hugely important habitat in our District
12. Ensure the Strategic Property Review considers opportunities for biodiversity enhancements and tree planting on Council landholdings
13. Investigate new approaches to nature recovery such as habitat banking that deliver biodiversity objectives and provide new investment opportunities 
14. Embed climate action and ecological initiatives within all council work areas, including COVID-19 recovery projects and programmes
15. Write to all South Oxfordshire’s MPs urging them to support the Climate and Ecological Bill, a private member’s bill, in keeping with the declarations of this Council.

C.   Motion proposed by Councillor David Rouane, seconded by Councillor Sarah Gray

Council has adopted a corporate plan which commits it to ‘Protect and Restore the Natural World’ and ‘Recognise and support the vital role of farming’ in our community.

Sky lanterns are small hot air balloons made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a candle is suspended, they can float for miles before they fall to the ground. The NFU has launched a campaign to highlight the dangers posed by sky lanterns such as:

• Fire - Once a sky lantern is lit, nobody knows exactly where it will land. Fields of standing crops, hay and straw stacks, farm buildings housing animals, thatched roofs plus lots more are all at a significant risk of being set alight.

• Animals and Livestock - Sky lanterns can cause suffering or even kill animals and livestock, not just by fire, sky lantern debris can cause immense stress and injury.  For example, animals eating lantern debris which can cause tears or punctures to internal organs leading to a potentially life-threatening situation, animals getting splinters in their skin which may cause infection or, animals becoming trapped or tangled in debris.

• Litter nuisance - landowners have to clear up the remnants of sky lanterns from their fields. 

The council therefore resolves to support this campaign and:

·         To ban the release of sky lanterns at events held on property owned by the council.

·         To use its communication channels to advertise the dangers of sky lanterns to event organisers, other landowners including town and parish councils, and the general public.

During this item Council agreed, in accordance with council procedure rule 82, to suspend council procedure rule 12, which restricts the duration of a meeting, to allow Council to complete the consideration of all the motions.

A.   Councillor Ian Snowdon moved, and Councillor Caroline Newton seconded the motion as set out in the agenda at agenda item 18.

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

RESOLVED: That

Council notes that it has appointed a cycling champion to promote the benefits of cycling and a River Thames champion to promote the river and all it brings to our district. As much as the River Thames is a wonderful asset enjoyed by many for which the council has an obligation to protect and enhance, Council notes that our beautiful(mostly green) district is that way because of our amazing countryside and wildlife which should also be protected and enhanced.

 Council therefore agrees to appoint a Tree Champion to:

·         Promote the value of trees and woodlands in tackling the climate and ecological emergencies

·         Encourage people to re-connect with nature and appreciate the importance of trees and woodlands for both environmental and human health and well-being

·         Promote woodland protection/conservation and tree growing initiatives in the district  

·         Work with officers and members to develop and promote a Tree Policy and Strategy 

·         Raise awareness of the statutory protections for trees and woodland within local communities, town and parish councils.

B.   Councillor Sam Casey-Rerhaye moved, and Councillor David Rouane seconded the motion as set out in the agenda at agenda item 18.

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

RESOLVED: That

Council has adopted a new Corporate Plan that has as one of its main priorities: ‘Protect and Restore the Natural World’. In the consultation exercise on this Plan, this theme was ranked the most important by a high number of respondents. This Council has already, rightly, declared a climate emergency (April 2019).

 Council acknowledges that:

• Our societies and economies are intimately linked with and depend on biodiversity and nature. The natural world is essential for the provision of nutritious food (with soil and pollinators having a vital role), clean water, clean air, medicines, and protection from extreme weather, as well as being our source of energy and raw materials
• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the relationship between people and nature. When we destroy and degrade habitats, we increase the risk of disease spill-over from wildlife to people
• The State of Nature 2019 report highlighted the critical decline in biodiversity in the UK. Changes in farming practices have had the biggest effect in recent decades and the impact of climate change is now increasing. 15% of UK species are classified as threatened with extinction and 2% are already extinct
• The State of the World's Plants and Fungi 2020 report from Royal Botanic Gardens Kew estimated that 39.4% of plants are now threatened with extinction. This is a jump from one in five plants thought to be at risk in Kew's 2016 report
• The Environment Bill will require the introduction of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Nature Recovery Networks
• Actions to restore nature and biodiversity, as well as being vital for their own sake, often have an important co-benefit of storing carbon, so help address climate change
• People’s access to ‘green spaces’ to understand and appreciate biodiversity and a rich, natural world, private or public, is unequal

Council resolves to:

1. Declare an ecological emergency
2. Rename CEAC the Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee, to help Cabinet and council officers address these twin emergencies
3. Add ecological impact implications alongside those for climate and sustainability in committee and council reports.
4. Ensure that addressing the climate and ecological emergencies and nature recovery are considered as strategic priorities for planning policies and design guides for new development, including master-planning of sites, by identifying appropriate areas for habitat restoration and biodiversity net gain and ensuring that development limits impact on existing habitats in its process, whilst also working on the principle of increasing equality of access for people to natural, green spaces
5. Establish a Biodiversity Steering Group involving both key officers and members to oversee and develop the Councils approach to nature protection and recovery
6. Set measurable targets and standards for biodiversity increase, in both species and quantities, seeking also to increase community engagement
7. Work with our partners to establish a Local Nature Partnership for Oxfordshire as soon as possible, in keeping with the urgency of this declaration
8. Work with our partners to develop Nature Recovery Networks and Nature Recovery Strategy for Oxfordshire, again in keeping with the urgency of this declaration
9. Look for opportunities to work in partnership with local charities and environmental organisations to deliver nature recovery in South Oxfordshire
10. Develop a district wide Tree Planting Policy and Strategy, including having Member Tree Champions, to support nature protection and recovery and carbon sequestration
11. Build on the work of the Thames Champion to improve the ecology of the Thames and its banks and flood plains, a hugely important habitat in our District
12. Ensure the Strategic Property Review considers opportunities for biodiversity enhancements and tree planting on Council landholdings
13. Investigate new approaches to nature recovery such as habitat banking that deliver biodiversity objectives and provide new investment opportunities 
14. Embed climate action and ecological initiatives within all council work areas, including COVID-19 recovery projects and programmes
15. Write to all South Oxfordshire’s MPs urging them to support the Climate and Ecological Bill, a private member’s bill, in keeping with the declarations of this Council.

C.   Councillor David Rouane moved, and Councillor Sarah Gray seconded the motion as set out in the agenda at agenda item 18.

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

RESOLVED: That

Council has adopted a corporate plan which commits it to ‘Protect and Restore the Natural World’ and ‘Recognise and support the vital role of farming’ in our community.

Sky lanterns are small hot air balloons made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a candle is suspended, they can float for miles before they fall to the ground. The NFU has launched a campaign to highlight the dangers posed by sky lanterns such as:

• Fire - Once a sky lantern is lit, nobody knows exactly where it will land. Fields of standing crops, hay and straw stacks, farm buildings housing animals, thatched roofs plus lots more are all at a significant risk of being set alight.

• Animals and Livestock - Sky lanterns can cause suffering or even kill animals and livestock, not just by fire, sky lantern debris can cause immense stress and injury.  For example, animals eating lantern debris which can cause tears or punctures to internal organs leading to a potentially life-threatening situation, animals getting splinters in their skin which may cause infection or, animals becoming trapped or tangled in debris.

• Litter nuisance - landowners have to clear up the remnants of sky lanterns from their fields. 

The council therefore resolves to support this campaign and:

·         To ban the release of sky lanterns at events held on property owned by the council.

·         To use its communication channels to advertise the dangers of sky lanterns to event organisers, other landowners including town and parish councils, and the general public.