Decision details

A Green City Charter for Southampton

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Green City seeking to adopt a Green City Charter and invite city stakeholders to enroll.

Decision:

(i) To adopt the Green City Charter as published in this paper.

(ii) To delegate powers to the Director of Transactions & Universal Services to develop and introduce a Green City Plan by 2020 that will demonstrate how SCC will deliver on those commitments included in the Green City Charter.

(iii) To support the promotion of the Green City Charter with stakeholders to encourage its wider adoption and the subsequent development of actions that will satisfy its aims, objectives and commitments.

Reasons for the decision:

The development of a Green City Charter will facilitate the delivery of the Councils existing priority outcomes, refresh existing activities, and deliver new ones. It will ensure that environmental impacts are given due consideration in the delivery of services and decision making and where possible ensure we maximise the opportunity to deliver benefits. It will provide an opportunity to satisfy the expectations and ambitions identified in the Clean Air Zone Consultation exercise. It will seek to encourage city stakeholders to adopt the same set of principles and deliver their own actions. It will encourage all stakeholders including both business, community groups and public sector organisation to work together to deliver a shared outcome, making Southampton a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable and attractive environment for all.

Alternative options considered:

No alternative options considered.

Report author: Steve Guppy

Publication date: 19/03/2019

Date of decision: 19/03/2019

Decided at meeting: 19/03/2019 - Cabinet

This decision has been called in by:

Councillor Peter Baillie who writes Reasons for Requisition of Call-In of Decision: Lack of the agreed political engagement in the development of the Green City Charter. At the 16 January 2019 meeting of the OSMC, when considering the proposed CAZ for Southampton, the following recommendation was made by the Committee: 'That the Green City Charter is developed via a cross-party working group and that consideration is given to involving stakeholders in this process'. The Executive's response to this recommendation, as published in the OSMC Monitoring Report at 14 February meeting, was as follows: 'This has always been the Executive's intention.' Concerns with regards to the ambiguity of the language within the Charter; and Concerns that the Green City Charter presents a reputational risk to the Council."

Accompanying Documents: