Issue - meetings

To receive a report seeking the adoption of a set of environmental principles for Huntingdonshire District Council and its activities that align with those developed as part of the Oxfordshire-Cambridgeshire Arc (OxCam arc).

Executive Councillor: R Fuller.

The Cabinet has:

(a)  agreed that the environmental principles form the basis upon which to inform the renewal of Huntingdonshire’s Strategy for the Environment, centred on achieving an environmentally positive recovery; and

(b)  recommended to Council to:

(i)  adopt the aspiration of a net carbon zero Huntingdonshire by 2040; and

(ii)  adopt the OxCam Arc environmental principles.

With the aid of a report prepared by the Managing Director, Assistant Director (Recovery) and Strategic Growth Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet considered the adoption of a set of environmental principles for Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) and its activities that align with those developed as part of the Oxfordshire-Cambridgeshire Arc (OxCam Arc).

By way of background, the Executive Leader and Executive Councillor for Housing and Economic Growth reported that 41 authorities had signed up to the environmental principles which would support the renewal of Huntingdonshire’s Strategy for the Environment and also inform the delivery of the Corporate Plan. Having drawn the Cabinet’s attention to paragraph 3.2 of the report which outlined the five core set of environmental principles to be adopted and in noting the unanimous support of the principles by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Customers and Partnerships), Executive Members’ attention was then drawn to the proposed amended recommendations as tabled at the meeting (copies of which are also appended in the Minute Book).

Matters that were discussed included how the Council’s housing stock would become environmentally sustainable in the future, the creative opportunities that existed through the OxCam Arc that wouldn’t rely on cost (such as draft building regulations and planning powers) and the 12-month timeframe required to produce the strategy and how the Council would move forward with the principles in the interim. In response to the former, the Executive Leader reported that whilst he was unable to provide a specific response at the present time, a partnership approach would be adopted on such matters with a view to achieving this aim. Having regard to the latter, Executive Members were reminded that activity was already underway and that the Council would continue to work towards these aims.

Having expressed their support for the proposals, it was

RESOLVED

  that the Cabinet     

(a)  agree that the environmental principles form the basis upon which to inform the renewal of Huntingdonshire’s Strategy for the Environment, centred on achieving an environmentally positive recovery; and

(b)  recommend to Council to:

(i)  adopt the aspiration of a net carbon zero Huntingdonshire by 2040; and

(ii)  adopt the OxCam Arc environmental principles.

The Panel is invited to comment on the adoption of the OxCam Arc environmental principles.