Agenda item

The Director of Environment Capital and Cabinet Member for Environment Capital presented the report which advised on the progress being made with regard to the delivery of the Environment Capital portfolio and also informed the Committee about the proposals to launch the “Home of Environment Capital” initiative.  The proposals would be considered by the Cabinet at their meeting on 29 September.

The Sustainable Community Strategy embedded creating the UK’s Environment Capital and it remained a priority.  There had been a number of work strands put in place to develop key elements of the work one of which was to draft a Home of Environment Capital – Major Policy 2010.  This was a new policy and would replace the current Environment Policy which had been adopted in 2000.  The new policy would link into all of the current strategies and policies which had been developed since the original policy in 2000.  A Single Delivery Plan for the Home of Environment Capital was currently being developed and would include outcomes that would be measured. The Forum for the Future Sustainable Cities Index had been used for measurement of performance in the past however the Index was designed for large cities.  This Single Delivery Plan would be brought to a future meeting of the Committee.  A task and finish team had been set up to lead the development of a marketing and communications strategy to ensure that the new approach enhanced the city’s regional, national and international profile and to get the message out about the Home of Environment Capital. 

Observations and questions were raised around the following areas:

·         The Committee at the last meeting had been concerned that the public were not being fully engaged with the Environment Capital.  Had any new work been done to promote this?   Members were advised that no new work had been done since then but a key part of the new policy was about getting the message out.

·         Why was the phrase ‘Home of Environment Capital’ being used instead of ‘The Environment Capital?  Members were informed that the idea behind the phrase ‘Home of Environment Capital’ was based on Peterborough’s environmental reputation and the drawing of resources from within the Council, partners and across the city in a common vision.  It was a good way of advertising to people who wanted to relocate to the city. The use of the word capital represented knowledge and expertise which indicated that Peterborough was the home of where it had started. 

·         In the Forum for the Future indicators there were some indicators which were performing very badly and the Quality of Life index had not been included.  The Cabinet Member for Environment Capital advised that at the last meeting the Committee had recommended that an independent assessment needed to be undertaken and the Forum for the Future Index had therefore been used for this assessment.  The categories and indicators which had been chosen were more relevant to the environment.

·         Members were concerned that the Environment Policy document adopted in 2000 had been a substantial document and was now being replaced by a one and half page document which had no targets or action plan.  Members were advised that supporting the new policy were a range of existing policies that had been put in place since the original Environment Policy had been adopted e.g. carbon management action plan, climate change, and biodiversity policy.   The new policy would link into those documents therefore reducing the size of the new policy.  The action plan would be the Single Delivery Plan which was currently being developed and would sit behind the policy with outcomes and more detailed targets.  It should be noted that the National Indicators had now been abolished and the process of putting some new measures in place was currently being undertaken.

·         Members felt that not many people knew about the Environment Capital and that there was a need to promote it more widely.  Members were advised that the message had gone out nationally and there had been a lot of press releases but agreed that more work needed to be done.  The Single Delivery Plan would provide a better vehicle to communicate the message and a marketing strategy was being developed.

·         Members asked how people would get to know about the Home of Environment Capital.  Members were advised that a marketing strategy was being developed and there would be a campaign to launch it.  There would also be targeted messages and briefings to schools, communities and businesses.

·         Members wanted to know if the policy would include the measures and targets when presented to full council.  Members were advised that this would not be the case as all the key outcomes, measures and targets would be in the Single Delivery Plan which was currently being developed.  The Committee would have an opportunity to scrutinise the Single Delivery Plan once it had been completed.

·         How does Peterborough compare with Tyneside who were also claiming the same title of Environment Capital?   Officers would investigate further.

·         Earlier this month the Council had been mentioned in a press release from the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) which stated that we had entered into a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) called the Greater Peterborough and Greater Cambridgeshire Local Enterprise Partnership.  Councillors had not been consulted on this and wanted to know who had authorised the application.  Had the application included any consideration of the aspirations of Peterborough being an Environment Capital and could more information be given?   The Director of Environment Capital and Cabinet Member stated that they did not know who had authorised the submission or what the content of the submission was.  The Executive Director of Operations advised that he had read the document and confirmed that there was environmental content within it however the partnership was aimed more around economic development and regeneration than environmental issues.  The LEP would be considered through the remit of the Sustainable Growth Scrutiny Committee when more information was available.

·         At the invitation of the Committee, Wayne Stimson of the ECO Arts Project addressed the Committee.  He felt that the phrase the Home of Environment Capital was very vague and needed to be redefined.

·         At the invitation of the Committee, Richard Olive, a Member of GPP Environment Capital Committee addressed the Committee.  He read a statement which contained information on other cities who aspired to achieve green capital status and highlighted areas where Peterborough was failing in environmental performance.  He also commented that the new Home of Capital Environment Policy was weak and vague. As the statement included various facts and figures on environmental issues Mr Olive was asked that he submit his statement in writing to the Committee as it was very detailed.

·         At the invitation of the Committee, Sally Plummer and environmentalist addressed the Committee.  She stated that she was concerned that different Committee Members seemed to have different interpretations on what the term Environment meant and wanted to see a more unified approach to the meaning.

ACTIONS AGREED

That the Director of Environment Capital brings to a future meeting the Single Delivery Plan when completed.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Cabinet Member for Environment Capital is recommended to:

(i)                  ensure that the Home of Environment Capital Policy makes reference to all of the other related policies and strategies; and

(ii)                rewrite the opening paragraph of the Policy to make clearer the intent of the Policy, including that details of the related policies and strategies that are yet to be included.