Agenda item

The Sustainable Environment Manager introduced the report.   The report provided the Committee with an overview of the Environment Capital Project providing background information on the council’s commitment to become the UK’s Environment Capital and progress that had been made across the four key objectives, as set out in the Sustainable Community Strategy:

• Making Peterborough cleaner and greener
• Conserving natural resources
• Increasing the use of sustainable transport
• Increasing the environmental business sector

Members were advised that work had also progressed on the following key documents which would be presented to the Committee at future meetings.

• Environment Capital Delivery Framework
• Environment Capital headline targets
• Environment Capital timeline
• A bespoke Environment Capital Enewsletter
• Action plan for  the current year
• Live Health Live Green Supplementary Planning document

Questions and observations were made around the following areas:

·         A member of the Committee had attended a presentation on the Incredible Edibles Project and wanted to know if Peterborough was going to be part of the project.  Members were informed that Peterborough had already started work on the project and this was being led by the Neighbourhoods team.

·         Members requested further clarification of the Environment Capital priority ‘Making Peterborough cleaner and greener” and wanted to know how this would be achieved.  Members were informed that this priority was around projects relating to green spaces, wildlife, waste and recycling, bat projects, bird box projects,  an owl project and educating people to recycle more and sending less waste to landfill. It was also around environmental enforcement and regulating against fly tipping.

·         How are PCC working with Enterprisewith regard to the cleaner greener priority?  Members were informed that there was a community engagement plan which covered education in recycling and fly tipping in communities and in schools.

·         The report mentioned one success as being the winner of the ‘Most Improved Bus Services’ category at the national Transport Awards.  Members wanted to know if this included all transport across Peterborough.  The Officer did not have all the details but believed it was awarded because of the relationship the council had with Stagecoach  and in particular for the new bus service between the city centre and  the hospital.

·         Members noted from the report that Cranfield University and PCC had formed a partnership to develop education and research in renewable energy and bio-fuels to support future economic growth in the city.  Would Cranfield be going into Secondary schools to talk about this to encourage young people to take this up as a career option?  Members were informed that the project involved a wide number of partnerships which included the Peterborough Regional College, UK Centre for Economic & Environmental Development (UK CEED) and Opportunity Peterborough.

The Chair thanked the Sustainable Environment Manager for an informative report.

ACTION AGREED

That the Committee note the contents of the report and that the key documents as listed in the report are presented to the Committee for comment and recommendations at a future meeting when ready.  Those documents being:

• Environment Capital Delivery Framework
• Environment Capital headline targets
• Environment Capital timeline
• A bespoke Environment Capital Enewsletter
• Action plan for  the current year
• Live Health Live Green Supplementary Planning document