Decisions

Council debated the notice of motion proposed by County Councillor Jake Berriman and seconded by County Councillor Jackie Charlton:

“This Council notes the IPPC Panel report on Global warming predicts severe impacts to health, home and environment, with the severe floods of October 2019 and February 2020 endangering Powys communities, clearly demonstrating that we are ill prepared for the challenges we face as a Council.

This Council notes that by declaring a climate emergency, councils are demonstrating their collective leadership and signifying the urgency which, as a publicly accountable body, they place on tackling climate change and decarbonising the economy as required by The Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

This Council notes that  by supporting the Local Electricity Bill the council will remove the barriers to local energy supply, and could lead by example in reducing its corporate carbon footprint by using our farm estate to become a local renewable electricity provider, whilst also supporting communities to find innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint and invest in, and support, their community facilities.

This Council notes Fay Jones’ MP commitment to the cross-party effort to have the Local Electricity Bill passed into law, helping Councils kick-start a local energy revolution which has the potential to reduce Powys’ carbon footprint once and for all whilst distributing the benefits to local communities perpetually.

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Join with other councils across Wales in declaring a Climate Emergency

2. Support the implementation of Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales (March 2019) to make Powys County Council a net zero carbon local authority by 2030.

3. Requests the Leader to consider assigning roles within the cabinet to lead on Climate Change mitigation and to actively engage with all members and stakeholders by: A. setting up a cross-party working group and, B. establishing a Powys-wide multi-stakeholder group, to develop a baseline picture @2020 and bring forward a strategy and action plan @2021 for a truly sustainable Powys.

4. Support our MPs to ensure the Local Electricity Bill succeeds in an Adjournment Debate to encourage and enable the local supply of electricity and facilitate more resilient Powys communities.

5. Ask Welsh and UK Governments to provide the necessary support and resources to enable effective carbon reductions and transition to a green Powys economy.”

Some Members argued that the cross-party working group should look at this whilst others argued that this would only lead to a delay. A motion to refer this to the cross-party working group for a report back within 6 months with specific proposals was proposed by County Councillor Amanda Jenner and seconded by County Councillor James Evans. The Chair declared that 28 members voted for Councillor Jenner’s motion and 28 against with 2 abstentions and it was lost on the Chair’s casting vote.

(NB:  Since the meeting it has become clear that  the correct record of the vote should have been 29 members voted for Councillor Jenner’s motion and 27 against with 2 abstentions.)

Council voted on Councillor Berriman and Councillor Charlton’s notice of motion and by 30 votes for to 20 votes against with 4 abstentions it was

                        RESOLVED to

1.         Join with other councils across Wales in declaring a Climate Emergency

2.         Support the implementation of Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales (March 2019) to make Powys County Council a net zero carbon local authority by 2030.

3.         Requests the Leader to consider assigning roles within the cabinet to lead on Climate Change mitigation and to actively engage with all members and stakeholders by: A. setting up a cross-party working group and, B. establishing a Powys-wide multi-stakeholder group, to develop a baseline picture @2020 and bring forward a strategy and action plan @2021 for a truly sustainable Powys.

4.         Support our MPs to ensure the Local Electricity Bill succeeds in an Adjournment Debate to encourage and enable the local supply of electricity and facilitate more resilient Powys communities.

5.         Ask Welsh and UK Governments to provide the necessary support and resources to enable effective carbon reductions and transition to a green Powys economy.

County Councillor Stephen Hayes abstained having missed part of the debate due to his computer having lost connection during the debate.

Cabinet considered the Treasury Management report for 2019/20. The Treasury Management team was thanked for their important work in ensuring the Council’s cashflow whilst £50m of government support was delivered to local businesses during the pandemic.

RESOLVED that the Treasury Management Review Report is approved.

County Councillor Phyl Davies left the meeting having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item.

Cabinet considered responses to the consultation carried out on the home to school/college transport policy with a view to introducing a new policy from July 2021. Taking into consideration the responses received, it was proposed to proceed with the proposal that elected Members no longer consider transport appeals and with the proposal relating to providing transport to Welsh-medium provision, but not to proceed with the proposal to remove the practice of reimbursing 16-19 aged learners who travel out of county to study. The £75,000 saving that this would have generated would not now be achieved.

With regard to the proposals in the draft policy to continue to provide transport to the nearest suitable school or catchment school, it was proposed that changes to catchment areas for schools should be agreed as part of local authorities’ admission arrangements, and not as part of developing a Home to School/College Transport Policy. This would be taken forward as the new School Admissions Policy for admissions in September 2021 was developed and consulted upon.

The Chair of the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee welcomed that Cabinet had listened to the views expressed in the consultation with regard to removing the practice of reimbursing post 16 learners who travelled out of county for their studies. The Cabinet noted the recommendations from the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee and the Equality Impact Assessment.

                        RESOLVED to approve the revised Home to School/College Transport Policy as attached in Appendix B for implementation from July 2021, and note the specific changes identifies in section 3.1 of the report.

County Councillors Phyl Davies and James Evans returned to the meeting.