Attendees
Phil Norrey, Devon County Council
Emily Widdecombe, Devon Climate Emergency
Emily Reed, Devon Climate Emergency
Janet Williams, Torridge District Council
Doug Eltham, Devon County Council (Environment Group)
Mark Kentell, North Devon District Council
Keir Duffin, Devon County Council (Economy and Enterprise)
Harry Barton, Devon Wildlife Trust
Angus Berry, South West Water
Mark Clapham, Devon Association of Local Councils
David Edmondson, Torbay Council
Adam Williams, South Hams and West Devon Councils
Andrew Butler, National Farmers’ Union
Rebecca Miller, Plymouth City Council
Claire Gibson, Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership
Charlotte Burleigh, Devon County Council (Environment Group)Â
Victoria Hatfield, Exeter City CouncilÂ
Apologies
Emmanuelle Marshall, Plymouth City Council
David Eaton, Teignbridge District Council
Sara Gibbs, Public Health Devon
David Bartram, Exeter City Council
Neil Hamlyn, Local Resilience Forum
Chris Clarke, Wales and West Utilities
Tina Henry, Public Health Devon
Bruce Newport, Environment Agency
Alex Gandy, Dartmoor National Park Authority
Drew Powell, South Hams and West Devon District Councils
Jason Ball, Mid Devon District CouncilÂ
1. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting were AGREED as a true record of the discussion.
2. Project Progress Report
2.1 General Project Communications
Emily Widdecombe provided an update reflecting Section 1.1 of the Progress Report at Annexe 1 of these minutes. No further questions asked.
2.2 Net-Zero Task Force Update
Emily Reed provided an update reflecting Section 2.1 and 2.2 of the Progress Report at Annexe 1 of these minutes and invited questions. No further questions asked.
2.3 Climate Impacts Group Update
Emily Reed provided an update reflecting Section 3 of the Progress Report at Annexe 1 of these minutes. No further questions asked.
3. Consultation Report
Emily Reed presented the report describing the findings of the public consultation about the partnership’s response to the resolutions and conditions prepared by the Devon Climate Assembly.
The consultation results show that the partnership’s responses to the Devon Climate Assembly have clear public support, as all but one of the partnership’s proposals to the Assembly’s resolutions have more than 50% of respondents to this consultation in agreement with them.
The group AGREED for the report to be published on the website.
The group further AGREED for an additional action to be included in the Devon Carbon Plan to address the issue of car park pricing, which the respondents to the consultation were keen are used to encourage modal shift to active, shared and public transport where appropriate. The action is:
“Use car park pricing to balance the needs of vehicle access to rural and urban areas with those of reducing car use”
Andrew Butler was surprised at the low number of submissions from Plymouth. Rebecca Miller said that there was already a consultation running in Plymouth on the Climate Emergency Planning Policy and Guidance and so it may be that people thought the consultations were one and the same.
Harry Barton said he would not want to see the wording of actions such as the new action agreed above, be used by areas that could be doing a lot more to actually do very little. Andrew Butler and David Edmondson agreed but said that we do no need the flexibility for somewhere like Holsworthy to consider car-park charging and availability differently to places like Exeter and Torbay. Emily Reed suggested explaining what needs to happen, and why flexibility is built-in to this action, in the supporting text. The group AGREED this approach.
ACTION: Emily to incorporate the partnership’s response to the Devon Climate Assembly into the final Devon Carbon Plan for August 2022.
4. Devolution Update
Phil Norrey explained we are still awaiting a timetable from government, and an indication of their priorities.
Doug Eltham added that the Devon County Council Economy and Enterprise service has asked for the climate partnership to start developing more detail for each of the devolution ideas that were included in the application. Doug asked for volunteers to help with this, but added that this is likely to need additional resource, which the Economy and Enterprise service has acknowledged.
ACTION: Doug to circulate the devolution application.
ACTION: All to consider volunteering staff time to help with the firming-up the devolution ideas.
5. Purchasing Local Renewable Energy
Charlotte Burleigh advised the group that the concept of anchor institutions using Synthetic Power Purchase Agreements to buy renewable electricity direct from new, local generators is progressing.
Legal advice has completed which has reported that there is no reason why local authorities in particular should not be using this mechanism.
At the current stage it would be helpful to know which organisations are still interested in exploring this opportunity.
South Hams, West Devon, Devon Wildlife Trust, South West Water, Torbay, Torridge, Plymouth and North Devon are all still interested.
ACTION: All partners who are still interested to let Charlotte (or Doug) know.
6. Roundtable Updates
Torbay Council
David Edmondson said the first of the authority’s solar farms has received planning permission. A second solar farm will be going to committee next month. Torbay is continuing engagement with the community through its climate conversations.
Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership
Claire Gibson reported that Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) could have great benefits for the south west, according to a new study undertaken on behalf of the Southwest Local Enterprise Forum, Devon County Council, North Devon Council and Torridge District Council. FLOW presents a fantastic economic opportunity for the Southwest, as the skills needed in the supply chain are transferable between marine engineering and offshore renewable energy sector applications, but we will need to work together closely to ensure the benefits stay local.
Appendix 1 – Project Progress Report
Period: February to March 2022
Status Indicator Key:
? [RED] = Significant issue that requires Response Group intervention;
? [AMBER] = Minor issue that will initially be managed by the secretariat, but the Response Group should be aware;
? [GREEN] = No issue.
1. Partnership Update
1.1 General Project Communications [GREEN]
1.1.1 Following
As predicted, our following across all platforms has begun to rise again since we have resumed our usual communications following the end of the public consultation. Growth has resumed a rate of 2%, with the largest increase in our newsletter subscription rate.
Figure 1.1. DCE Social Media Following
1.1.2. Current Campaigns
Travel Devon Collaboration
- We are now consistently working with colleagues at Travel Devon to promote active travel to schools where possible.
‘Naturally Healthy Month’
- This May, the Devon Local Nature Partnership and Active Devon are running ‘naturally healthy month’, encouraging people to get outside and explore the natural world.
- This is an opportunity for DCE to highlight the health and wellbeing co-benefits of making sustainable choices (e.g encouraging active travel), as well as encouraging interest in and appreciation of nature.
1.1.3. Future Campaigns
Cycling campaign in September
- Collaboration with Active Devon, Travel Devon & Devon CC’s Environment Group to deliver a month-long campaign around cycling this September
- There will be community rides lead by community cycling groups, development of re-usable assets and opportunities for cycle confidence training
Devon-Wide Community Engagement
At its latest meeting, the Community Engagement Sub-Group heard from Devon Communities Together about its Asset-Based Community Development model. The Sub-Group learned that the approach is very similar to the Community Action Groups model run by Devon CC. The Sub-Group is now going to prepare a proposal to enhance this activity across Devon.
Plymouth City Council is going to lead an application to the Local Government Association’s Behavioural Insights Programme to receive funding to trial a behaviour change intervention about home energy efficiency.
1.2. Partners’ Notable Activity
Activity is recorded centrally on the Taking Action pages of the Devon Climate Emergency website. Notable activity this month is:
- Devon County Council is set to achieve an important milestone, delivering bikeability training to almost 100,000 children.
- South Hams District Council is installing solar panels, costing £500,000, on all four of its leisure centres and is decarbonising its vehicle fleet, as well as planting a further 2.5 hectares of wildflowers across the district.
- New Affordable Night Bus Service For Exeter
- English Riviera Geopark has launched a new Marine User Policy aimed at educating partners and users about ways to enjoy and use the marine environment which doesn’t damage fragile ecosystems. [Will appear on DCE website shortly]
- Marine Drive, Paignton, to receive permanent widening of the pavement, an upgrade to an existing and installation of an additional crossing point, improvement to cycling facilities and the introduction of a 20mph zone. [Will appear on DCE website shortly]
2. Net-Zero Task Force Update
2.1 Devon Carbon Plan [GREEN]
Work is continuing with redrafting the remaining sections – Economy and Resources, Introduction and Making it Happen. These will be circulated for comment shortly.
The Centre for Energy and Environment at the University of Exeter has started re-modelling the Action Diagrams.
We remain on schedule to have the Devon Carbon Plan available for organisations to consider adopting from the end of August 2022.
2.2 Citizens’ Assembly Resolutions [GREEN]
Emily Reed has prepared the consultation report to share at the Response Group meeting on the 23rd May, along with any amendments required to the partnership’s responses.
All but three of the partnership’s proposals have over 50% of respondents agreeing with our approach and therefore amendments are minimal.
3. Climate Impacts Group Update [AMBER]
The tender to recruit a consultant to help prepare the Adaptation Plan has closed and is now being evaluated. The work is expected to be completed within 6 months of awarding the tender, depending upon how much of the Strategy can be developed for the available budget. We’ll find this out in the next couple of weeks once the tenders have been evaluated and we’ll keep the partnership updated.
4. Devolution Update
We continue to wait for a response from government on the first application stage. A timetable has not been disclosed but it’s likely to be a couple of months.
5. Summary Comments
- Partners continue to implement the Interim Carbon Plan.
- The partnership closed its consultation on the responses to the Citizens’ Assembly resolutions on schedule on April 14th and the analysis is underway.
- The final version of the Devon Carbon Plan continues to be prepared for its August deadline.
- The tender to recruit a contractor to assist with the Adaptation Plan is being evaluated.
