Agenda item

Clean Air, Net Zero and Sustainable Energy Supply

 

It was moved by Councillor Anderson,

Seconded by Councillor Gahir,

 

“This Council acknowledges;

 

·  Dirty air impacts the health of people at all ages, is linked with increased risk of severe Covid-19 impacts, causes heart and lung diseases, is linked to low birth weight, affects children’s lung development, may contribute to mental health issues and that people living in the most deprived areas with the most toxic air suffer disproportionately greater ill health;

 

·  Air pollution represents a national health emergency resulting in an estimated 40,000 early deaths each year, costing the UK £20 billion annually

 

·  The potential for more community-scale renewable energy generation infrastructure to be built across the country, and for this growth to bring substantial benefits to the local economy and to help the council achieve its net zero carbon emissions target for the Borough.

 

Therefore, this council resolves to:

 

·  Publish, after public review, its Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan by the turn of the year

 

·  Write to Rebecca Pow, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (responsible for Air Quality) to introduce a Clean Air Act;

 

·  Call on the Government to establish a legal right to breath clean air ensuring the law on air quality is at least as strict as WHO guidelines;

 

·  Call on the Government to introduce a binding clean air plan across government, to take into account air pollution impacts in policy and funding decisions and to provide public information on air pollution health impacts

 

·  Support the Local Electricity Bill which seeks to make changes to the energy marketplace, establishing a right to local supply by making the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate to the size of the supply company

 

·  Write to our local MPs asking that they support the Local Electricity Bill.”

 

The motion was put to the vote and agreed unanimously.

 

Resolved -

 

This Council acknowledges;

 

·  Dirty air impacts the health of people at all ages, is linked with increased risk of severe Covid-19 impacts, causes heart and lung diseases, is linked to low birth weight, affects children’s lung development, may contribute to mental health issues and that people living in the most deprived areas with the most toxic air suffer disproportionately greater ill health;

 

·  Air pollution represents a national health emergency resulting in an estimated 40,000 early deaths each year, costing the UK £20 billion annually

 

·  The potential for more community-scale renewable energy generation infrastructure to be built across the country, and for this growth to bring substantial benefits to the local economy and to help the council achieve its net zero carbon emissions target for the Borough.

 

Therefore, this council resolves to:

 

·  Publish, after public review, its Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan by the turn of the year

 

·  Write to Rebecca Pow, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (responsible for Air Quality) to introduce a Clean Air Act;

 

·  Call on the Government to establish a legal right to breath clean air ensuring the law on air quality is at least as strict as WHO guidelines;

 

·  Call on the Government to introduce a binding clean air plan across government, to take into account air pollution impacts in policy and funding decisions and to provide public information on air pollution health impacts

 

·  Support the Local Electricity Bill which seeks to make changes to the energy marketplace, establishing a right to local supply by making the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate to the size of the supply company

 

·  Write to our local MPs asking that they support the Local Electricity Bill

 

 

 

 

 

Slough Library Services

 

It was moved by Councillor Muvvala,

Seconded by Councillor Kelly,

 

“This Council recognises the vital role our local libraries play in acting as centres in the community for delivering services; the services which they provide go far and wide in supporting wider objectives such as increasing childhood literacy; acknowledging that there were over 4,700 active users of the Langley and Cippenham libraries in 2019/20 and resolves;

 

·  That no closure can take place until an alternative location and/or method of provision is in place.

 

·  To agree to an alternative model of delivery of other Council services in the community through these libraries which puts residents’ wellbeing first.

 

·  That closure of library services as a consequence of ‘right-sizing’ the Council should be a last resort due to the disproportionate impact such closures will have on our vulnerable and elderly residents, as well as students on out of school hours.”

 

It was moved by Councillor Brooker, as an amendment,

Seconded by Councillor J Davis,

 

“This Council recognises the vital role our local libraries play in acting as centres in the community for delivering services; the services which they provide go far and wide in supporting wider objectives such as increasing childhood literacy; acknowledging that there were over 4,700 active users of the Langley and Cippenham libraries in 2019/20 and resolves

·  That no closure can take place until an alternative location and/or method of provision is in place.

·  To agree to an alternative model of delivery of other Council services in the community through these libraries which puts residents’ wellbeing first.

·  That closure of library services as a consequence of ‘right-sizing’ the Council should be a last resort due to the disproportionate impact such closures will have on our vulnerable and elderly residents, as well as students on out of school hours.”

 

 The amendment was put to the vote and agreed unanimously and became the substantive motion.

 

The substantive motion was put to the vote and agreed unanimously.

 

 

 

Resolved –

 

This Council recognises the vital role our local libraries play in acting as centres in the community for delivering services; the services which they provide go far and wide in supporting wider objectives such as increasing childhood literacy; acknowledging that there were over 4,700 active users of the Langley and Cippenham libraries in 2019/20 and resolves

 

·  That closure of library services as a consequence of ‘right-sizing’ the Council should be a last resort due to the disproportionate impact such closures will have on our vulnerable and elderly residents, as well as students on out of school hours.

 

(The Mayor asked that it be recorded that he reminded Members of the need to conduct debates in a respectful manner and that he may seek to propose a Member leave the meeting if there was improper conduct in future.)