Agenda and minutes

1.1

No apologies for absence were received.

2.1

No items were identified where resolutions may be moved to exclude the public and press.

3.1

Councillor Paul Turpin declared a personal interest in item 6 on the agenda (item five of these minutes) - Draft 10-Point Plan For Climate Change Action, as a director of an insulation company.

4.1

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 7th October, 2021, were approved as a correct record.

5.1

Members of the public were invited to raise questions and/or comments on the Draft 10- Point Plan For Climate Change Action, and the following six people attended the meeting to raise their questions.

(a)  George Rees

One of the benefits stated in the 10-Point Plan is "Improving people’s homes so they are suitable for the changing climate".  The plan includes a welcome recognition of the greater progress that can be achieved by working together: "5. Bring the city together to make the changes we need".

(Q) A significant proportion of the city housing stock is terraced houses.  Many of these have single-brick external walls so they leak heat and require external solid wall insulation.  Particularly for terrace-houses there's a strong benefit from insulating multiple adjacent houses together - this offers a more effective solution (reduced thermal gaps), improved appearance (harmonious), and lower-costs (reduced set-up costs).  What is the Council offering, or planning, in terms of facilitating or supporting multiple privately-owned adjacent terrace-house owners to work together in this way?  For example, the Council could offer an expert insulation-advisor to attend a meeting with residents of a particular terrace street, or the Council could support the negotiation with contractors for lower-prices for externally-insulating of multiple-adjacent terrace homes.

(b) Renee Meijer

Given that food generates around 30% of our carbon footprint, what plans do the Council have to ensure that fair and sustainable food is an integral part of this 10-Point Plan?

(c)  Andrew Mitchell

(i)       I applaud SCC for recognising the need to take action, but I see no tangible actions in any of the 10 SCC priorities listed. The greatest impact on emissions that SCC has a direct influence on is Housing which accounts for 40% of all CO2 emissions. Housing first. Fabric First.

(ii)       What is the actual strategy for reducing CO2e in Sheffield. That is what specific areas have been identified as the most effective in terms of cost vs CO2e saved and SCC authority (i.e. they have the authority to implement this)?

(d)  Gillian Gehring

Is the Council going to rethink public transport? Might it consider seeking funds to establish a large fleet of free small electric minibuses that would run at a frequency of ~ 5 minutes over an area inside the inner ring road linking the bus and rail stations and transport hubs e.g. the Cathedral with the rest of the city.  They might be permitted in the pedestrianised areas provided they kept to a very low speed limit in these areas. (There is such a scheme in Manchester).

(e)  Karine Nohr

(i)       Why are petrol-guzzling private SUVs, which are resource hungry and have  poor fuel efficiency,  excluded from the £10 charge to enter the Clean Air Zone?

(ii)       Why no mention of the Arup Report?

(f)  Jonathan Frost

(i)       What do you think of the Wakefield Climate Action Plan?

(ii)       What aspects could usefully used in the Sheffield equivalent?

5.2

The Policy and Improvement Officer (Alice Nicholson) read out the two  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1

The Committee received a report of the Head of Strategic Transport, Sustainability and Infrastructure, Place, containing a draft 10- Point Plan for Climate Change Action. The draft Plan, which had been requested by the Committee at its last meeting held on 7th October 2021, set out a framework for the Council’s approach to acting on climate change, together with committed high level and specific actions that were identified as priorities over the short-term. The report also set out details regarding the next steps in the process.

6.2

The report was supported by a presentation by Mark Whitworth (Sustainability and Climate Change Service Manager) and Tom Finnegan-Smith (Head of Strategic Transport, Sustainability and Infrastructure).

6.3

Also in attendance for this item were Mick Crofts (Executive Director, Place) and Victoria Penman (Sustainability Programme Officer).

6.4

Mark Whitworth reported on the response to suggestions of the Committee raised at its meeting held on 7th October 2021, the proposed structure of the draft Plan, the transformation of priorities and actions and enabling priorities. Tom Finnegan- Smith provided further detail on the transport strategy element of the Plan.

6.5

Members of the Committee raised questions and the following responses were provided:-

·                It was noted that a significant proportion of the greenhouse gas emissions in the food sector involved the transportation of food. There was a commitment to develop a plan which focused specifically on food, as well as a plan for decarbonising transport in the city, including freight. Every effort needed to be made to ensure that local food supplies came from sustainable sources, and work was required to look at the supply chains. As part of the Plan, the Council wished to look at how more food consumed in the city could be generated locally in order to reduce emission levels created by food transportation. Work had been undertaken a few years ago, as part of the Heart of the City project, looking at cleaner methods of transporting food into the city, such as the use of the canal or by creating a consolidation centre near the motorway. There was a big opportunity for the Council to work with its partners, such as Sheffield Hallam University, with regard to looking at modern food growing techniques. The Council needed to work with ShefFood, and other similar networks in the city, to support them and help them develop further. Many of the problems were caused simply by people’s decisions, such as where they purchased their food from, and how wasteful they were in terms of throwing food away, and work was required to try and encourage people to make such informed choices

·                Veolia still operated two electric refuse collection vehicles which were used to support general duties by completing extra or missed collections.

·                With regard to housing, and specifically the options available to people, the Council would need to try and offer some clarity to the public in terms of the different forms of the technology available to them, and signpost people to where they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.1

The Policy and Improvement Officer (Alice Nicholson) submitted a report containing the Committee's draft work programme for 2021/22.

7.2

Members indicated that the Business Recovery Plan and Local Plan be prioritised as areas for consideration by this Committee.

7.3

RESOLVED: That the Committee approves the draft Work Programme for 2021/22 now submitted, taking the comments now made into consideration.