Agenda item

To consider any recommendations to Cabinet from other committees. 

Appended are the recommendations of the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee 19 April 2021. 

(1)       Climate Emergency Advisory Committee

Cabinet received recommendations from the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee meeting held on 19 April 2021.  The committee’s Chair, Councillor David Grant, addressed Cabinet, outlining the main points from the recommendations.  This covered the role of the committee in monitoring progress against the climate emergency actions in the corporate plan, the use of task and finish groups to assist with the committee’s workload, the need for regular communication with Cabinet, the development of the 2021/22 climate action and biodiversity work programmes, a proposed methodology/development process for the climate action plan, and the establishment of joint South and Vale member and officer Biodiversity Working Group to assist the council in scoping corporate plan 2020-24 biodiversity projects. 

Cabinet thanked Councillor Grant and the committee.  Cabinet welcomed the recommendations, noting that they were a continuation of the committee’s work and could be achieved within budget, unless new projects came forward.  Cabinet supported the committee’s recommendations. 

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee plays a formal role in the monitoring of the Corporate Plan 2020-24 and reviews the quarterly performance reports that are part of the council’s performance management framework;

(b)       that task and finish groups are established to work alongside officers on the corporate plan, communications and engagement, zero carbon definition, and relevant consultations;

(c)       that the Chair of the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee be invited to attend the Cabinet meeting after each committee meeting to provide an update to ensure there is an effective and open dialogue between the two meetings;

(d)       to approve the 2021/22 climate action and biodiversity work programmes;

(e)       to adopt the proposed methodology/development process for the Climate Action Plan; and

(f)         to establish a joint South and Vale member and officer biodiversity working group to assist the council in scoping corporate plan 2020-24 biodiversity projects to tackle the climate emergency, which are currently subject to future discretionary growth. 

(2)       Suggestions from an informal meeting of the Scrutiny Committee members

Rather than hold a formal ‘in-person’ meeting at which no formal decisions were required, the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee had called an informal meeting of committee members on 27 May 2021, which was held virtually. 

The meeting had discussed the Cabinet report of the performance management framework and the year 1 corporate delivery plan.  The meeting had made the following suggestions to Cabinet:

·       In Appendix 2 to the report—the corporate delivery plan year 1— for future reports quantitative measures should be shown where possible, rather than just a narrative

·       If there was no progress on a particular project aim, future reports should say so and state if there have been any barriers to progress or state the expected timescale for action

·       In future reports, please number the paragraphs in the interim performance report (Appendix 3)

·       In future reports, please use graphical information, where appropriate, to explain a point

·       Welcome further performance reports for scrutiny members’ consideration

Cabinet welcomed the suggestions made.  Where possible, these would be taken into account before publication.  Other suggestions would be considered for future reports.