Green push to green Council

Another meeting I've not mentioned yet was some Green councillors (incl myself) meeting with one of the key officers to look at progress with the Environment Strategy. The Environment Strategy is in place but there is much still needed if we are to realise it's ambitions.

Photo: Time for the pedal-powered washing machine? This was at the Ragged Hedge Fair last year outside Cirencester.

It was a useful meeting and we got into discussions about a huge range of issues. To give a flavour of the meeting and some of the issues we raised I'll list a few here - it was pleasing to hear that the Officer was prepared to take all these ideas and more back to explore further:

- Ways of measuring progress, particularly in relation to CO2. Various ways are being developed nationally and unless we adopt one we will not be able to see if we really can cut CO2 emissions 3% each year as planned.
- Appropriate targets in relation to recent IPCC evidence - the 3% is clearly inadequate in terms of new evidence: the independent Climate Change Panel being established will review the figures when it meets hopefully by Sept/Oct.
-Regeneration dept, shift to focus on CO2 emission cuts - the Regen dept should be about long-term liveability and creating sustainable communities - there are concerns from others that regeneration can be more about "beautification, with an element of social engineering", rather than providing spaces that work for existing communities and do not simply displace existing problems.
- Council tax? Can Discretionary relief be used to promote CO2 cuts? The Government has no plans to link the level of council tax that someone pays with how energy efficient their property is. Council tax is based on the value of a home and as we know all homes are placed in one of eight valuation bands based on their open market value on 1 April 1991. Adding energy efficient measures such as solar panels or wind turbines will not affect the current council tax banding of a property. If a property is sold, improvements may have an effect but only if they are such that they move the value of the property into the next band. Some local authorities have provided a one-off 'rebate' on council tax bills for council tax payers who take certain measures to improve energy efficiency in their homes. Could Stroud explore this?
- Free insulation - I've mentioned this before - a scheme to provide free insulation (cavity wall and loft) to over 30,000 homes has been agreed in Kirklees - The £14million scheme initiated by the Green party will ensure that many households across Kirklees receive around £400 worth of insulation measures free of charge. The scheme will see £6million of Kirklees funding matched by a similar amount from Scottish Power under their Energy Efficiency Commitment monies. Households benefitting from the scheme will see their fuel bills reduce by an average £150 following installation of the measures at a time of high fuel prices and growing concern about greenhouse gas emissions. In total it is expected that at least £4.5 million will go back into the local economy each year rather than into the coffers of energy companies. This scheme has national significance. In addition to huge carbon savings it will achieve, it is the first scheme in the country that gives free insulation to residents whatever their circumstances. Again let's see Stroud go down this route.
- Eco boxes on Council papers - all Council policy papers that come to committees have boxes for financial and legal implications - we would like to see one introduced re a carbon assessment of Council projects/proposals.

All this was very positive but one of the people present was prepared to wager a bet, that Stroud District's emissions would not have gone down within 5 years. His claim was that with the patterns of consumption like the monstrous surge in electrical gadgets - especially widescreen energy-eating TVs - we would barely be standing still.

No one was prepared to accept his challenge.