Agenda item

The following Notices of Motion submitted to the County Council by the following Councillors have been referred to the Cabinet in accordance with Standing Order 8(2) for consideration, to refer it to another Committee or make a recommendation back to the Council:

 

(a)  Neonicotinoid Ban (Councillor Brazil)

(b)  Cost of Living Crisis (Councillor Hannaford)

(c)  Motion for the Ocean – Ocean Recovery Declaration (Councillor Aves)

(a) Neonicotinoid Ban (Councillor Brazil)

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to endorse the spirit of this Notice of Motion given the significant environmental concerns relating to the use of neonicotinoids and calls on Government to carefully review its consideration of emergency use applications to ensure consistency with the objectives of the National Pollinator Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan.  It will continue to pursue relevant action in line with its Pollinator Action Plan.

 

(b) Cost of Living Crisis (Councillor Hannaford)

 

RESOLVED that that Council be recommended to

 

(a) note that one the Council’s Strategic Plan priorities for 2021 to 2025 is to make Devon a fairer place, address poverty, health, and other inequalities, and ensure support for those people and families struggling most;

 

(b) agree that the Annual Plan for 2022/23 should include measures to address poverty in the light of current increases in the costs of living; and

 

(c) work with Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council and Team Devon in the forthcoming devolution deal negotiations with Government to devolve flexibilities and responsibilities which will help to address issues described in the Notice of Motion.

 

(c) Motion for the Ocean – Ocean Recovery Declaration (Councillor Aves)  

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

(a) support the adoption of the ‘Motion for the Ocean’, based around the model motion advocated by the Ocean Conservation Trust, as set out in Appendix 1 to the Report; and

 

(b) that the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport writes to the Secretary of State for the Environment to urge Government to put the ocean into net recovery by 2030.

(a)       Neonicotinoid Ban (Councillor Brazil)

 

(Councillor Brazil attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and Councillor Hannaford attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

It is desperately disappointing that once again the Government has permitted the use of a pesticide known to have catastrophic effects on bees. This Council will not permit the use of thiamethoxam or any neonicotinoid pesticides on County farms or any County land. We would also encourage farmers to adopt more sustainable farming practices and reduce their reliance on toxic pesticides. The Government needs to support our farmers to do this and uphold its own ban on neonicotinoids’.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/22/6) which referred to the history of the use of Neonicotinoids, their highly detrimental effect on bees and other insects, the granted emergency use authorisations for neonicotinoid seed treatments and that Defra granted this type of emergency use authorisation to counter the threat to sugar beet crops from beet yellow virus. The Council did not use any neonicotinoid insecticides on the corporate estate, however in relation to Farms, there were no provisions within the leases that would enable the landlord to prevent the tenant using authorised pesticides provided the tenant was acting within the law and industry best practice. Despite this, the Council had, through its Pollinator Action Plan, signalled its intent to promote environmentally sustainable alternatives.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken:

 

It was MOVED by Councillor McInnes, SECONDED by Councillor Davis, and

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to endorse the spirit of this Notice of Motion given the significant environmental concerns relating to the use of neonicotinoids and calls on Government to carefully review its consideration of emergency use applications to ensure consistency with the objectives of the National Pollinator Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan.  It will continue to pursue relevant action in line with its Pollinator Action Plan.

 

 

(b) Cost of Living Crisis (Councillor Hannaford)

 

(Councillor Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and spoke to this item).

 

Council notes with concern that;

According to the House of Commons Library, the UK cost of living has been rising since early 2021, but in December 2021 inflation reached its highest recorded level in decades, seriously affecting the ability of households to afford basic goods and essential services. Economic experts agree that the UK is now expected to experience will be the sharpest fall in disposable incomes since records began in 1990, as the cost of living crisis wreaks havoc among middle and lower-income households.

Inflation

Consumer prices, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) , were 5.4% higher in December 2021 than a year before – the highest inflation rate recorded since 1992. In mid-December, the Bank of England forecast the CPI inflation rate to remain around 5% over the winter, before rising to 6% in April 2022. However now against a backdrop of rising household energy prices, the Bank said inflation was on course to peak close to 7.25% in April, a sharp adjustment to its previous forecast.

 

Fuel and Petrol Prices

 

Petrol and diesel prices both fell over the first two months of the first lockdown. At the end of May 2020 they were at their lowest level for around five years: the UK average was 104.9 pence for a litre of petrol and 111.7 pence for diesel. Prices increased steadily during most of 2021 and particularly rapidly in October and November. Petrol reached a record price of 147.5 pence per litre on 29 November 2021. Diesel reached a record price of 151.3 pence per litre on the same day. Both prices have fallen slightly since then; on 17 January 2022 average prices were 144.8 and 148.7 pence for a litre of petrol and diesel respectively. However these prices were still historically very high and are even more economically regressive in a rural county like Devon, where driving is often essential.

 

Housing Costs

Particularly in the private rental sector ever rising costs are adding pressure to those in most in need. The latest HomeLet Rental Index figures show average monthly rental costs in the UK rose by 8.6 percent, with the average rent being £1,060. An article on the cost-of-living crisis in the homeless charity magazine, The Big Issue, noted, “Already, data shows that private rents are unaffordable for the poorest in the country, with data from 2021 showing that there are just two areas in England where the poorest families spend less than 30 per cent of their income on rent costs.”

As proven by the research done by Team Devon, the distortion of the rental market from ever more holiday homes, second homes , and an explosion in Airbnb properties, and the scarcity of affordable and social housing in all parts of Devon, are all feeding into this crisis.

Also following recent Bank of England interest rate increases, homeowners with mortgages are expected to see an average £15-a-month increase, but for many its much higher, , depending on their own individual rates, and especially in Devon where property prices remain some of the highest in the UK.

Energy Prices and Devon’s Fuel Poverty

A particularly important driver of inflation is obviously energy prices, with household energy tariffs increasing . Between January and November 2021 domestic gas prices increased by 28% and domestic electricity prices by 19%. 

Energy regulator Ofgem has now announced the new energy price cap on , confirming it will increase by 54 per cent, or £693, from 1 April. This will allow energy firms to charge customers up to £1,971 per year, up from the previous limit of £1,277. The energy price cap is the maximum amount a utility company can charge an average customer in the UK per year for the amount of electricity and gas they use.

Consultancy Cornwall Insight said that the households whose energy bills are tied to the price cap can expect the cap to rise further, to around £2,350, at the next review in October.

The number of homes set to be plunged into ‘fuel stress’ could rise to over six million in April when a new price cap comes into play, according to the think-tank Resolution Foundation. This will see the proportion of households in England in fuel stress rise from nine per cent to 27 per cent.

The current international situation in Ukraine could make matters even worse, with Europe highly dependent on Russian natural gas. Although the UK imports barely any gas from Russia. It meets about half of its gas requirements from the North Sea, while another third is sourced from Norway. The rest is imported by pipelines connecting the UK to Europe, or in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is transported by tankers typically from Qatar or the US.

However the UK’s gas sources could all becoming eye-wateringly expensive if markets in Europe soar. The UK’s market is closely connected to markets in Europe, so a price rise in Germany or the Netherlands , should tensions rise , would also lead to higher prices in Britain.

Rising energy charges such as these could devastate the UK’s poorest families, analysis suggests, as many adults could be forced to spend more than half of their income after housing costs on electric and gas bills.

The latest government information from April 2021 , that does not factor in the forthcoming price hikes,  already indicates substantial fuel poverty in Devon, and it is also widely estimated that these figures hide a much higher actual number in reality.

 

		Number of                Number of households1                  households in                                         fuel poverty		Proportion of households fuel poor (%)
Devon		355,130	38,051		10.7
	East Devon	64,942	6,148		9.5
	Exeter	54,298	6,439		11.9
	Mid Devon	36,079	4,162		11.5
	North Devon	43,963	5,073		11.5
	South Hams	40,597	3,834		9.4
	Teignbridge	59,478	5,886		9.9
	Torridge	30,763	3,637		11.8
	West Devon	25,010	2,872		11.5

 

Food Prices

Food and non-alcoholic drink prices were up by 4.2% in the year to December 2021 on the official CPI measure of inflation. They may rise further in the coming months.  However some everyday food items have increased in price by 344% in a year.

It comes as food poverty campaigner, activist and chef Jack Monroe has successfully urged the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to reconsider how the cost of living is actually measured in the wake of rising prices for everyday essentials, such a flour, pasta, rice and milk, rather than luxury items , that the poor cannot afford and never buy.

Nationally its estimated that Foodbanks are already handing out 32 meals a minute, despite seeing a big drop in donations because of the cost of living crisis.

One in 10 households in the Devon County Council area suffer "substantial disruptions" to get enough food.  Overall, 17% of households were shown to experience some food insecurity and "not having reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food".

 

Other Pressures On Household Budgets

As well as higher inflation, household budgets will be also be further squeezed by changes in taxes and benefits in the coming months. This includes an increase in National Insurance Contributions from April 2022, and changes to income tax, as well as the withdrawal of the £20 Universal Credit uplift.

 

Stagnant wages will also affect household incomes. Furthermore public transport costs will be raised.

 

Overall a recent report by The Resolution Foundation predicts households will be on average at least £1,200 a year worse off from this year.

 

Low Income Households & Child Poverty

 

Low income households spend a larger proportion than average on energy and food, and will therefore be relatively more affected by increases in prices. The Joseph RowntreeFoundation (JRF) say that low-income families may have to spend, on average, 18% of their income on energy bills, which rises to 54% for single adult households, and around a quarter for single parents and couples without children.

 

Low income households are paying an estimated “poverty premium” of £478 each year, according to research by the campaign group Fair By Design.

 

As a result thousands of people already in poverty across Devon are paying more for essentials such as energy and insurance, because they are unable to afford lump sums and instead have to opt for pricier regular payments. This includes higher tariffs and fees through prepayment meters and car insurance premiums.

Recent data from 2016 shows that 12.3% of children in Devon are in low income families compared to 17% for England, although this does not take into account the social and economic effects of the pandemic.

 

However a fifth of children were living in households with a low income for at least three of the four years between 2016-2019, rising to around one in three children in single-parent families. The child poverty rate for children in families with three or more children, was almost twice as high as the rate for children in one- or two-child families (47% versus 24%).

 

 

 

 

Financing Progressive Measures

 

The governments financial position is much better than expected. Tax revenues are coming in higher than forecast, and some substantial expected government spending has not occurred. We are nine months into the current financial year and thanks largely to that more money is coming into the exchequer than expected, the deficit is lower than expected. It is still huge, £147bn, because of the economic effects of the global pandemic , but that is £13bn less than the Office for Budget Responsibility expected. So in conjunction with an new annual windfall tax and some careful strategic borrowing , the government does have some considerable financial headway to make sure its leveling up agenda in the face of a cost of living crisis is more than just an empty slogan.

Council Notes;

The recent announcements by the Chancellor including; 

·         All households will receive £200 off their energy bills in October under a rebate and claw back” scheme – but then pay the discount back by £40 a year over five years from 2023.

·         Council taxpayers in England in bands A to D would receive a rebate of £150 from their bills in April, which will not have to be paid back.

·         Local authorities would receive £150m to make discretionary payments to the neediest.

·         The number of poorer households eligible for the warm homes discount – worth £150 from October – would be increased by a third to 3m.

Council Believes That:

The Government has made an limited intervention to tackle the energy bills crisis. But this isn’t the only cost of living challenge families face.

As such the Chancellor’s announcements are hopelessly inadequate. For most families it’s just £7 a week and more than half must be paid back. It’s too little, it’s poorly targeted, and it’s stop gap measures instead of fixing the big problems.

The support may not reach people quickly enough. The £200 energy bills rebate won’t arrive in people’s bank accounts until October. But people are struggling right now.

And while the £150 Council Tax rebate is coming this April, one-in-eight of the poorest families in England won’t even qualify for support because of the houses they live in.

Finally, most of the £9 billion of support is being paid for via higher energy bills over the next five years. This is a very risky strategy, especially if the cost of gas doesn’t fall sharply and soon. High energy bills could be a feature of the 2020s – continuing to hammer the poorest in society – and a reminder of the need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels.

 

Council therefore resolves;

 

To call on the UK Government and our local Members of Parliament to effectively tackle the cost-of-living crisis facing Devon families and act now to support them with the following specific measures;

 

a)    A new revised local government settlement that adequately funds local councils so that council tax does not have to be raised this year to protect and operate vital front line services.

 

b)   A twelve month pause in the proposed National Insurance rise to directly help those on low and fixed incomes.

 

c)    Revise the planned 3.1% increase in the value of welfare and benefits, and build in a rise of 6% to protect the poorest and most vulnerable in society.

 

d)   A VAT cut on everyone’s home energy bills for a year from 5% to 0% percent.

 

e)    Increasing the Warm Home Discount from £140 to £400 per year and expanding the number of households eligible to 9.3 million.

 

f)     Introducing a year-long increase to corporation tax for North Sea oil and gas producers in order to secure at least a £1.2 billion windfall from their increased price rise profits to help mitigate household energy bills.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/22/6) which referred to factors currently combining to increase the cost of living for Devon’s households, and that cost of living increases would disproportionally affect those on middle and lower incomes and the subsequent push of more people into poverty. It covered the issues with household fuel bills, fuel poverty, pay levels across the County and an analysis of this. Other issues included rental availability (which affected key workers and local people), the Council tax rebate scheme, warm homes Discount, the programmes that the County Council were leading on to tackle poverty and inequality, which was a priority of the new Strategic Plan and the opportunities within the Devon Devolution Deal.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken:

 

It was MOVED by Councillor McInnes, SECONDED by Councillor Croad, and

 

RESOLVED that that Council be recommended to

 

(a) note that one the Council’s Strategic Plan priorities for 2021 to 2025 is to make Devon a fairer place, address poverty, health, and other inequalities, and ensure support for those people and families struggling most;

 

(b) agree that the Annual Plan for 2022/23 should include measures to address poverty in the light of current increases in the costs of living; and

 

(c) work with Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council and Team Devon in the forthcoming devolution deal negotiations with Government to devolve flexibilities and responsibilities which will help to address issues described in the Notice of Motion.

 

(c) Motion for the Ocean – Ocean Recovery Declaration (Councillor Aves)  

 

(Councillor Hannaford attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

Devon County Council is developing the Devon Carbon Plan aiming to reach net zero carbon by 2050 at the latest. The Plan includes the ambition to enhance the ability of habitats along our 200 miles of coast, in our countryside and in our villages, towns and cities to store carbon. This offers tremendous opportunities to reverse the decline of biodiversity and restore healthy ecosystems. This council has shown its wider environmental values through its support of projects such as the Exe Estuary Management Partnership. 

 

In May 2019, after Devon County Council declared a Climate Emergency, a partnership formed to respond to the climate and ecological emergency in Devon. Its members represent private sector interests, environmental organisations, academic institutions, and public bodies, including our neighbours Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council. Plymouth City Council is leading the way in connecting people to the ocean through the development of the UK’s first National Marine Park, in Plymouth Sound and as the first Council to pass the Ocean Recovery Declaration.

 

International and national context

 

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development runs from 2021 to 2030. Last year the UK hosted COP26 in Glasgow and the G7 came to Cornwall. The UK Government has publicly declared its ambition to be a global leader in marine conservation. All eyes are on the ocean.

 

There is national and global recognition that the world ocean is in crisis. The impact of the climate crisis on the ocean is profound, including in our local waters. Raised atmospheric carbon dissolves in the seawater and causes ocean acidification, dissolving the shells, reefs and other hard parts of marine animals. The heating of the climate causes ocean heating too which makes some parts of the ocean intolerable for life and is changing what lives and is caught locally. It also increases the volume of the ocean which causes sea level rise, added to by ice melt at the poles. Thanks to a more turbulent climate, increased storminess and sea level rise is a serious threat to all coastal communities, economies and infrastructure including Devon coasts. Marine microplastics have been found in all marine environments and in the bodies of many species, including humans. Fish stocks collapse from permitted and illegal overfishing. Poor water quality is impacting seafood and preventing safe bathing.

 

We must play our part in securing the sustainability and health of the ocean. Action is needed at all levels, from individuals developing their ocean literacy (understanding of the relationship between people and the ocean), individual and collective marine citizenship (promoting and demanding an ocean recovery through local, national and international policy changes).

 

This Council declares an urgent need for Ocean Recovery.

 

We recognise that we need ocean recovery to meet our net zero carbon targets, and we need net zero carbon to recover our ocean.

 

This Council pledges to:

 

1. Report to Full Council within 6 months on the actions and projects that will begin an ocean recovery in Devon.

 

2. Embed ocean recovery in all strategic decisions, budgets, procurement and approaches to decisions by the Council (particularly in planning, regeneration, skills and economic policy), aligning with climate change mitigation and adaptation requirements and considering ocean-based solutions in our journey towards a carbon neutral and climate resilient future.

 

3. Ensure that local planning supports ocean recovery, working closely with the Marine Management Organisation to embed strong links between the Local Plans and the South West Marine Plan to support ocean recovery. 

 

4. Work with partners locally and nationally to deliver increased sustainability in local marine industries and invest in the development of a sustainable and equitable blue economy that delivers ocean recovery and local prosperity, including the local fishing industry and the vital work of the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA).

 

5. Grow ocean literacy and marine citizenship in the county, including ensuring all pupils have a first-hand experience of the ocean before leaving primary school, and promote sustainable and equitable access to the ocean through physical and digital experiences for all students.

 

6. Create an online portal of the Council website to update on ocean recovery progress, signpost to ocean literacy development opportunities, and marine citizenship pledges.

 

7. Write to the Government to put the ocean into net recovery by 2030 by

 

a. Ensuring Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities have the resources they need to effectively research and monitor our growing number of marine protected areas, and to set and enforce appropriate fishing levels that support local economies and deliver environmental sustainability.

 

b. Work with coastal communities to co-develop marine policy to ensure it delivers equitable and sustainable outcomes in local placemaking.

 

c. Appoint a dedicated Minister for Coastal Communities.

 

d. Stop plastic pollution at source by strengthening the regulations around single-use plastics and set standards for microfibre-catching filters to ensure that all new domestic and commercial washing machines are fitted with a filter that captures a high percentage of microfibres produced in the wash cycle.

 

e. And by listening to marine and social scientific advice to update the Marine Policy Statement and produce a national Ocean Recovery Strategy which will:

 

i. Enable the recovery of marine ecosystems rather than managing degraded or altered habitats in their reduced state.

 

ii. Consider levelling up, marine conservation, energy, industrial growth, flood and coastal erosion risk management, climate adaptation and fisheries policy holistically rather than as competing interests.

 

iii. Develop a smarter approach to managing the health of the entire ocean that moves beyond Marine Protected Areas and enables links to be made across sectors towards sustainability.

 

iv. Establish improved processes for understanding the benefits from ocean management, leaving no doubt the links between this and human lives, livelihoods, and wellbeing.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/22/6) which referred to the ‘Ocean Recovery Declaration’, which had been promoted by the Ocean Conservation Trust.  A key advocate for and one of the authors of the model motion was the marine scientist, Dr Pamela Buchan (Vice Chair of Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA)).  The Cabinet Member had already instructed officers to consider the possible adoption of this ‘Motion for the Ocean’ and the notice of this provided an opportunity to formalise this.  Such action would accord with the significant commitment already shown to marine and maritime issues. A Motion for the Ocean for Devon County Council was appended to the Report (Appendix 1).

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken and any other relevant factors (e.g. public health, financial, environmental, risk management and equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact):

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Davis, and

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

(a) support the adoption of the ‘Motion for the Ocean’, based around the model motion advocated by the Ocean Conservation Trust, as set out in Appendix 1 to the Report; and

 

(b) that the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport writes to the Secretary of State for the Environment to urge Government to put the ocean into net recovery by 2030.