To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution. Further information on the requirements for submitting these is available to view at the following link:-
The deadline for the submission of public questions is Wednesday 2 October 2019.
The deadline for the submission of a statement is 12.00 noon, Tuesday 8 October 2019.
The deadline for the submission of a petition is 12.00 noon, Tuesday 8 October 2019.
Minutes:
The Leader reported that two public questions had been submitted, and one statement.
Public Question from
BCP Council’s Climate Emergency statement pledges ‘to make BCP Council and its operations carbon neutral by 2030, and work with the wider community to look at how early the BCP region can be made carbon neutral ahead of the UK target of 2050’.
Notwithstanding encouragement for individuals to use alternative means of transport, surely it is time for the council to admit that the hospital re-configuration plans, bringing as they will, over 200,000 additional car journeys across the area, do not sit alongside such necessary and ambitious environmental targets. Is the council willing to prioritise the welfare of BCP residents and the climate emergency over the CCG plans, as it is apparent that both are not compatible?
Response by Councillor Dr Felicity Rice (Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change)
The Council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency Declaration commits us to ‘Work with partners, businesses and the wider community to investigate, make recommendations and set a target date for how early the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole region can be made carbon neutral, ahead of the UK target of 2050.’ To help achieve this joint working, the report asks Cabinet to consider the setting up of a Leadership Board, consisting of major stakeholder organisations that will have a significant role in reducing the area’s carbon emissions. If this is agreed, we would invite health partners, including hospitals, to take up membership on this Board so that they can work with the Council and other partners towards achieving a carbon neutral region before 2050. This will allow full discussion of transport options and other matters for everyone in the whole region. Regarding the hospital transport it is the CCG that is responsible for the hospital reconfigurations and not BCP Council, however we have recently met with the Chief Executive and the Chief Operating Officers from the hospital to specifically discuss their travel plan for staff.
Public Question from Susan Chapman
I am questioning the word "None" in number 30, "Summary of Equality Implications" of the BCP Public Report "Response to Climate Change Emergency".
30 years of global climate inaction will impose huge so-far hidden and disproportionate costs on both poorer members of society as well as subsequent generations. How will this societal and inter-generational inequity be addressed please?
Response by Councillor Dr Felicity Rice (Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change)
This report cannot directly address inequalities suffered by global communities across the preceding decades. The ‘none’ in question refers to the potential negative impacts from report recommendations, identified for the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. If the report is approved then the actions that are taken as a consequence of the groups that are set up will indeed have a very significant impact.
Statement from Joan Richards
Climate Change is the defining issue of our age and life on Earth is facing unparalleled challenges on a variety of fronts which are not being shared with the public. Please spell out to the people of our BCP conurbation how best we can protect ourselves and our community from increasingly difficult harvests, water and resource shortages and find a humanitarian response to the climate migration crisis.
Statement from Harriet Stewart-Jones
It's ironic that the phrase that comes to mind on reading the Council's response to the Climate Emergency is "glacial pace". This report - which has taken three months to produce - has no hint of emergency. This is not the time for business as usual. We had a Carbon Reduction Officer in Poole for 8 years. The low-hanging fruit (solar panels on the Civic Centre car park and PHP housing) has been done. We now need to step up a gear or two with urgency. Please!