Tactical Group Minutes- 23rd July 2024

Draft Minutes

Attendees

Emily Reed, Devon Climate Emergency

Doug Eltham, Devon County Council

John Amosford, Public Health Devon

Louise Sawyer, Devon and Cornwall Police

Lucinda Brook, Plymouth City Council

Collette Germon, Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Donna Sibley, North Devon and Torridge District Councils

Betty Tsang, Devon Climate Emergency

Andy Seaman, University of Exeter

Alice Gent, Exeter City Council

Clare Jones, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

 

Apologies

Jacqui Warren, Torbay Council

Jason Ball, Mid Devon District Council

William Elliott, Teignbridge District Council

Alex Mitchell, East Devon District Council

Adam Williams, South Hams and West Devon Councils

Catherine Causley, East Devon District Council

Helen Hicks, University of Exeter

Morag Aiken, South West Water

David Rose, South West Water

Matthew Blythe, East Devon District Council

Luke Mitchell, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Julia Wordley, Devon and Cornwall Police

Tracy Hendren, East Devon District Council

1. Introductions

Betty Tsang introduced herself as the new Climate Emergency Support officer, expressing eagerness to work with the team.

2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes were AGREED to be a true record of the discussion.

3. Project Progress Report

The progress reported appended to these minutes was considered.

Emily updated the group that the University of Exeter had shared a report reviewing monitoring indicators for the Devon Carbon Plan, and proposing how the indicators could align better with the Plan’s milestones. The secretariat is reviewing the report.

ACTION: Emily to check if renewable energy capacity is included in Exeter University’s proposed monitoring indicators.

4. Built Environment Progress Report

Emily highlighted some actions in the Built Environment Progress Report.

This included mention of ongoing issues, such as the need for additional resources to progress a retrofit strategy for Devon (impeding progress on actions B1 and B6). Additionally, a Written Ministerial Statement from December 2023 is causing uncertainty regarding Local Planning Authorities’ ability to apply enhanced energy efficiency standards through Local Plans and supplementary guidance (Action B8).

Emily highlighted that Devon County Council had been successful in securing funding from the Low Carbon Skills Fund to assess building’s potential for retrofit, which will help progress the built environment Action B7 further.

The meeting noted that the potential impact of the new government in relation to the actions in the Built Environment theme was still to be seen and understood.

Discussions included examples of net zero new builds under development by anchor institutions to set an example for low carbon buildings in Devon (Action B15). In particular, the new low carbon student accommodation in the pipeline on the University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus which will be built to Passivhaus standards; the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre and the new Zeal Hotel at Exeter Science Park.

John reported to the group that the Devon Housing Commission had published its report.

ACTION: John to provide insights on the housing report’s recommendations for planning and housing with regards to climate change.

5. Future Opportunities for Partnership Working

The group considered where opportunities are for partnership delivery.

Using a team’s whiteboard the group generated potential areas for collaboration, focusing on engagement and communications, shared EV infrastructure, and the carbon flux of land assets.

Appendix 1

Project Progress Report

Period: June to July 2024

Partnership Update

General Communications                                                                  

Follower growth across all channels has fallen below 1% in June, potentially due to less frequent use of Instagram and Facebook ‘Stories’ features or lower organic engagement with other accounts due to capacity. The new Climate Emergency Support Officer started on the 8^th July, it is anticipated that this extra capacity will increase follower growth over the coming months. 

Figure 1- DCE Online Following

Partners’ Notable Activity

Activity is recorded centrally on the Taking Action pages of the Devon Climate Emergency website.

• The University of Plymouth has been recognised as one of the top universities globally for its commitment to sustainability and its efforts to influence sustainable policy and action.
• The South West’s aerospace sector has secured £236,000 to create a Future Flight Innovation Zone (FFIZ) in Devon and Somerset, with a goal of accelerating the decarbonisation of flight.
• Devon residents eligible for concessionary bus passes are being encouraged to use local services as part of the national ‘Take The Bus‘ campaign.
• Free Sunday Bus travel was offered in North Devon during June, to inspire greater use of public transport.
• New support is being offered to South Hams construction businesses to decarbonise.

Oversight of the Devon Carbon Plan

The Progress Reports detailing known activity against each action are on the website. A summary of the number of actions categorised by each RAG status is provided below, split by theme.

Note that each theme of the carbon plan is reviewed every 6 months, which means the RAG status will not change significantly within the monthly periods of this progress report.

NO CHANGE IN STATUS THIS MONTH

Blue = Completed
Green = Generally progressing well
Amber = Progressing but geography or scope is limited
Red = Not started or activity significantly limited
Grey = Not yet assessed

Built Environment	Economy and Resources
Common Issues –        Finance required to expand geography –        Finance required for more people resource, particularly spatial planning	Common Issues –        Clearer guidance from government on aspects of waste management needed –        Finance required for more people resource

 

Energy Supply	Food, Land and Sea
Common Issues –        Government appetite to address issues e.g. grid capacity, planning for wind –        Availability of capital finance	Common Issues –        Complexity of agendas, e.g. Land Use Framework and Local Nature Recovery Strategy –        Finance required to expand geography and scope
Transport	Cross-Cutting Themes
Common Issues –        Public concern about EVs and reallocating highway space for sustainable modes –        Grid capacity –        Availability of capital finance	Common Issues –        Finance required for more people resource, particularly spatial planning –        Finance required to expand geography

 

The first phase of publishing the monitoring indicators went live on 3^rd April. The University of Exeter is helping to expand the indicator set, which will be added to the web page incrementally. This is ongoing.

Oversight of the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Climate Adaptation Strategy

The Climate Impacts Group is continuing its programme to review all the risks and near-term actions each year.

At the June meeting of the Climate Impacts Group, it was recommended that the Response Group seek reassurance from Southwest Water that the immediate issues of coastal water quality and cryptosporidium are not detracting focus from the preparation of the Water Resources Management Strategy.

Update: Meg and Emily to meet to discuss approaching South West Water. 

Feedback from the Climate Task Force

 

The Devon Climate Task Force held its latest quarterly meeting in June and made the following recommendations, to be considered by the Response Group in July.

• The Task Force considers the recent decision by the Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC) to end the Active Streets Trial in Heavitree and Whipton as a major setback to providing safe infrastructure for walking, wheeling, and cycling, contrary to the Devon Carbon Plan. The Task Force recommends that the Response Group give urgent attention to updating plans for achieving Action T11 (Reallocate road capacity to sustainable modes), to avoid further delays on progress towards Goal TB (Using active, shared and public transport is safe, efficient and affordable). They urge the Response Group to consider the national evidence of the effectiveness of Low Traffic Neighbourhood measures in future schemes, which demonstrate benefits for active travel and air quality in the areas.

Update: Emily has approached the Transport Planning team to collate examples of where Action T11 is being implemented elsewhere. 

• The Task Force would like to see further progress on action F10 (Explore how the County Farms estate could be used to demonstrate low-carbon agriculture.) They also encourage other partners that own land that is farmed to do the same.
• Housebuilders have mandatory requirements to put in electric vehicle chargers. But in Devon some housebuilders are being told by National Grid there will be significant delays before the chargers can be connected – some as late as 2027. The partnership should consider how this situation can be improved.

Updates on the Climate Task Force recommendations from March:

• Consider understanding what is needed to move each action from amber to green.

Update: No progress this month. Will be looked at shortly now there is extra capacity due to the appointment of the Climate Emergency Support Officer which will free-up some of Emily’s time.

• Mass-market retrofitting of buildings is still not happening quickly enough because the costs are high and the revenue savings are small in comparison. A retrofit summit should bring together key players to have a deep conversation about long-term solutions and to prepare a retrofit strategy.

Update: The Energy Saving Devon partnership submitted an expression of interest in response to an invitation from the MCS Foundation to pilot a support package for local areas to develop retrofit strategies. This would deliver a series of four full-day workshops. Unfortunately we were not successful. Further funding opportunities will be looked for to take this project forward.

Doug Eltham presented the issues with enabling mass-market retrofit to the Devon Housing Commission on the 24^th May.

• The role of spatial planning in net-zero is not being delivered fully. Need to revisit conversations with the Devon and Cornwall Planning Officers Group (DCPOG) to refresh the needs of planning teams and subsequently reengage Team Devon.

Update: Doug attended the DCPOG on June 6^th. It was agreed for a sub-group to prepare examples of how planning authorities have incorporated policies that implement the policy asks of the Devon Carbon Plan into Local Plans. These examples will be used as a checklist by planners when updating Local Plans.

Devolution Update

In the light of the announcement of the general election, Torbay Council and Devon CC are seeking clarity from Government officials on how the legislative process for setting up the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority will be affected.

Discussions about how to prioritise the £16m capital spend in 2024/25 are continuing, much of which will contribute to net-zero.