This report sets out the Council’s ambitious plan to lead the local response to the Climate & Ecological Emergency including the development of a new Herefordshire Climate & Nature Partnership and to allocate the use of the Council’s dedicated climate reserve in order to accelerate the delivery of our net zero carbon and nature rich commitments.

Leader of the council introduced the report, details of which are contained within the agenda pack.

It was hoped that the partnership would help to inform the council’s priorities.

The group leaders provided the views of their political party.

Resolved that:

(a)     The council establishes a new countywide partnership, the Herefordshire Climate and Nature Partnership (as per the Terms of Reference in Appendix 2);

(b)    The Herefordshire Climate and Nature Partnership is included on the council partnerships register as a significant partnership;

(c)     That the new Herefordshire Climate and Nature Partnership develops and leads the delivery of an ambitious new Herefordshire Climate and Nature Strategy for Herefordshire to become net zero carbon and nature rich by 2030;

(d)    A new dedicated Delivery Director is recruited to accelerate the delivery of the Council’s climate and nature projects; 305 AGENDA ITEM 10

(e)     £50,000 be allocated and drawn down from the climate reserve to procure external communications resource to support the active promotion and engagement of the Herefordshire Climate and Nature Partnership;

(f)      £40,000 be allocated and drawn down from the climate reserve to procure specialist consultancy support to develop a new Herefordshire Council Nature Strategy;

(g)    £50,000 be allocated and drawn down from the climate reserve to procure specialist consultancy support to develop a new Building Retrofit Strategy and to undertake an options appraisal for accelerating building retrofit across the county;

(h)    £220,000 be allocated from the climate reserve to establish a new Climate and Nature grant scheme to empower local community groups, organisations and parish councils to apply for funding, which the council will consider and award, to deliver carbon reduction and ecological enhancement projects across the county (as set out in Appendix 1);

(i)       That delegated authority is given to Interim Director for Economy & Place in conjunction with Cabinet Member Economy and Environment and Section 151 Officer to draw down the full value of the climate reserve in year and to take all operational decision to deliver the above recommendations; and

(j)       That Cabinet receives an annual report and project plan as part of a decision to draw down the following year’s climate reserve.