Members received the report of the Head of Service Neighbourhood Services, which outlined progress made on the Environment Strategy (2020) since the last report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 March 2021.

The role of Environment and Policy Manager, which was currently vacant, was under review to take into account the general restructure of the Council’s staffing and to explore working in partnership with neighbouring authorities to allow greater flexibility and efficiencies of scale. It was expected to have appropriate staff in place by no later than 31 March 2022.

Work continued on the Bexhill i-Tree Study, data from which would inform a tree planting strategy and other local planning.  The charity Trees for Cities had secured funding of £143,000 for the Rother area from the second round of the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund as part of their ‘Forgotten Places’ project. The project would specifically focus on increasing tree cover in smaller coastal cities and towns with lower than average tree canopy cover and high levels of socio-economic deprivation. The Trees for Cities team delivered a presentation to Members elsewhere on the agenda.

Carbon Literacy training had been delivered by the Director of the Climate Emergency Support Programme of the Centre of Sustainable Energy to Councillors and members of the Corporate Management Team on 22 April. 

Hester Management had facilitated a workshop for the Joint Waste Committee Members, Biffa and relevant partnership executive officers to review the existing carbon footprint of the vehicles and equipment used to deliver the Waste Collections and Street and Beach Cleansing service and to look at various proposals to reduce carbon emissions.  Work was in hand to develop a more detailed, evidence based and costed proposal.

Work was in progress with Idverde Grounds Maintenance to include the possibility of variations in the two year extension to the grounds maintenance existing contract that would facilitate increased bio-diversity, reductions in carbon emissions through the increased use of electric vehicles and equipment, and alternatives to some pesticides.

Energy consumption for the three Freedom Leisure Centres had been significantly reduced as compared to the same month in 2020 and in 2019, achieved through numerous minor operational changes that together added up to a substantial saving.

The piloting of areas of longer grass (environmental grass) to promote the growth of wildflowers and grasses and provide habitat for invertebrates had been extended to additional sites over the year.   Sites would be reviewed by officers taking into account customer feedback, alongside input from officers and the grounds maintenance contractor.

The Off-Street Car Parks Task and Finish Group had recommended the implementation of three, ’long stay’ car parks across the district to both support people who needed to park all day and to reduce congestion and therefore carbon emissions in town centres, by encouraging people to park on the outskirts in these lower daily tariff car parks.  This had been supported by Cabinet and subsequently implemented.

Interventions through planning policy were essential to support the delivery of the Environment Strategy,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26