Issue - meetings

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 MADE: (CAB 18/19 23514)

On consideration of the report of the Director Transactions and Universal Services and having considered representations from Members of the Opposition Party, Cabinet agreed the following:

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

(ii)  To delegate powers to the Director of Transactions and 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.

Cabinet considered the following recommendations from Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 15^th March 2019:-

(i)  That the Mayor is asked to reconsider allowing the deputation on Climate Change, that was rejected on the grounds of having missed the set deadline, to be heard at Council on 20 March 2019.

Response:

Rejected, not within the Executive’s remit.

(ii)  That the Cabinet Member outlines how the Council has achieved the 24% reduction in NOx in specific locations in Southampton from 2015-19.

Response:

Accepted, data is available.

(iii)  That, to support the development of the action plan and the identification of the required resources, the Administration reviews the Council’s core strategies and policies to identify how they align with the ambitions within the Green City Charter.

Response:

Accepted, this is already being done.

(iv)  That the Executive encourages stakeholders to engage with the development of the next iteration of the Local Plan to ensure that it supports the ambitions contained within the Green City Charter.

Response:

Accepted.

(v)  That the Executive engages with all interested parties in the development of the Green City Charter.

Response:

Accepted, this has already been done and the engagement report is available.

(vi)  That, to encourage partners to sign up to the Charter, the Executive provides an indication to stakeholders of the financial resources the Council are prepared to commit to achieve the ambitions within the Green City Charter.

Response:

Accepted, the Executive’s commitment is already in the public domain within the budget papers.

(vii)  That consideration be given to undertaking a scrutiny inquiry on the Green City Charter in 2019/20.

Response:

  Rejected, not within the Executive’s remit.