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Issue - meetings

Meeting: 08/12/2016 - Council (Item 71)

Environmental Policy Document Review (Minute 58 of 6 October 2016)

To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet relating to Councillor Wrights Notice of Motion.

 

The text of the original Notice of Motion, the Cabinet’s recommendation and any reasons therefor may be seen in full at Minute 104(c) of the Cabinet held on 9 November 2016 (Page 8 of the 9 November 2016, Green Pages).

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Pursuant to County Council Minute 58 relating to the Notice of Motion set out below as previously submitted and formally moved and seconded by Councillor  Wright that: 

                       

This Council commends the DCC Environmental Policy document that was produced in 2014/15 - and the reported progress against it, as set out in the Environment Performance Statement.

 

However, the national trend is a significant and potentially catastrophic decline in insects and other wildlife, with some species heading towards extinction, as set out in the latest State of Nature report, published last month (September).

 

The sharp decline in our species suggests that our collective efforts are still not enough to prevent a worsening position.

 

This council agrees that the ‘Countryside and Heritage’ section of the Environmental Policy document should be reviewed before the end of 2016, to see whether there are further opportunities for DCC to do more to benefit nature, including:

                                                

1.       management of the county farms estate, where current uncertainties linked to Brexit mean that we need to find other ways of achieving environmental gains through the actions of our tenants;

 

·         through the management of our buildings and grounds (e.g. County Hall - a Grade 2 listed building set within a conservation area);

·         management of our multi-use trails (i.e.cycleways), which have potential for enhancement as wildlife corridors; and

 

2.       through our community leadership role (e.g. in re-defining our environmental agenda in the light of Brexit, or in responding to current environmental problems such as ash dieback)’

 

and having had regard to the advice of the Cabinet set out in Minute 104(c) of 9 November  2016:

 

Members then formally moved and duly seconded the amendment(s) shown below and thereafter subsequently debated and determined.

 

Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor Clatworthy SECONDED that the Cabinet’s advice be accepted and the Notice of Motion County be approved and the Cabinet review existing policies and action plans (acknowledging that work already undertaken on the production of a new Countryside & Heritage Policy and Action Plan provided an ideal route for doing so); in order that a revised Plan may consequently be submitted to Cabinet in early 2017 incorporating the advice of the Environmental Performance Board as to what further action it would be practicable for the Council to take in support of Countryside and Heritage.

             

The amendment in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED nem com and subsequently thereafter also CARRIED as the substantive motion.



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