Agenda

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To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the Press) have been excluded. Thereare no itemswhich officersrecommendshould be dealtwithin thisway, but if confidential minutes from Cabinet and/or the Council’s Committees are being discussed, Officers may recommend consideration in the private part of the meeting.

Preamble;

Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt in the UK and around the world. Global temperatures have increased by 1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are above 400 parts per million (ppm) and continue to rise. This far exceeds the 350 ppm deemed to be a safe level for humanity.

Without more significant and sustained action, the world is set to exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit between 2030 and 2040. Therefore the current UK target of net zero by 2050 is not satisfactory. It is too little too late.

The increase in harm caused by a rise of 2°C rather than 1.5°C is significant. This is described by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C published in October 2018. According to the IPCC, limiting heating to 1.5°C may still be possible with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities. The costs of failing to address this crisis will far outstrip the investments required to prevent it. Investing now will bring many benefits in the form of good jobs, breathable cities and thriving communities.

Council notes that;

(i) This council has declared a climate emergency;

(ii) Many local authorities have established Citizens’ Assemblies that are    playing an important role in assisting them in their plans to achieve net zero by 2030 or before; and that

(iii) There is a Bill before Parliament—the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (published as the “Climate and Ecology Bill”)—according to which the Government must develop an emergency strategy that:

(a) requires that the UK plays its fair and proper role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial temperatures;

(b) ensures that all the UK’s consumption emissions are accounted for;

(c) includes emissions from aviation and shipping;

(d) protects and restores biodiverse habitats along overseas supply chains;

(e) restores and regenerates the UK’s depleted soils, wildlife habitats and species

populations to healthy and robust states, maximising their capacity to absorb CO₂ and their resistance to climate heating;

(f) sets up an independent Citizens’ Assembly, representative of the UK’s population, to engage with Parliament and Government and help develop the emergency strategy.

Council therefore resolves to:

(i)    Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

(ii)   Inform the local media of this decision;

(iii)  Write to local MPs, asking them to support the Bill; and

(iv)   Write to the CEE Bill Alliance, the organisers of the campaign for the Bill,

expressing its support (campaign@ceebill.uk

Proposed by; Cllr Olly Davey

Seconded by; Cllr Tony Woodward

Supported by Cllrs; Denise Bickley, Steve Gazzard, Paul Hayward, Sarah Jackson, Val Ranger.

ref Article 5 page 19 to be modified as per section b shown in italics:-

b) The Chair shall be elected annually by the Council. The Chair will have the following responsibilities:

1. To uphold and promote the purposes of the Constitution, and to interpret the Constitution when necessary having regard to appropriate advice;

2. To preside over meetings of the Council so that its business can be carried out efficiently and with regard to the rights of Councillors and the interests of the community;

3. To ensure that at the Council meeting Councillors who are not on the Cabinet or who are not Chairmen of Committees are able to hold the Cabinet and Committee Chairmen to account.

4. Generally, to be the conscience of the Council

5. Shall exercise neutrality and be an exemplar of the highest standards of conduct and ethics consistent with the Council’s Code of Conduct and by promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by Councillors, co-opted Members and Council officers to serve the best interests of the Community

Proposed by; Cllr Mike Allen

Seconded by; Cllr Philip Skinner

Supported by Cllrs; Andrew Moulding, Bruce de Sarum, Ben Ingham

In the light of the positive response from Simon Jupp MP to the recent letter we sent to him about the Future of our Highs Streets in East Devon like Exmouth, we recommend to Council the implementation as soon as possible of a cross party TAFF whose membership will be determined by the monitoring Officer in the usual manner in order for our District to get a strong bid in for the government’s multi-billion-pound Levelling Up Fund and Community Renewal Funds. We are all aware that The Levelling Up Fund is currently open for applications of up to £20 million to regenerate and improve High Streets in places like Exmouth. It's fantastic to see that the new funds build on the work of the smaller schemes which predate the pandemic, including the Future High Streets Fund. As Exmouth members Cllr Caygill, Cllr Chapman and myself urge this Council to set up this TAFF and work with Simon Jupp MP so that ultimately, we put in a successful bid for the benefit and wellbeing of all our residents at this time of great need” 

Proposer Cllr Bruce De Saram

Seconder Cllr Fred Caygill

Supporters Cllrs; Maddy Chapman, Alan Dent, Helen Parr, Ben Ingham and Andrew Moulding.

In view of the stresses from new working arrangements in home-working, a new Council office environment and continuing adaptations of policy and finances, Council wishes for an independent risk analysis to be developed for both physical and psychological risks by an independent qualified organisation such as ACAS, HWE or CIPD to fulfil this legal requirement ( Health and Safety Executive (hse.gov.uk))

Proposer Mike Allen

Seconder Ben Ingham

Supporters Andrew Moulding, Philip Skinner Bruce de Sarum