More action, fewer words on climate change

Three recommendations turned down in Torridge

A committee set up in 2019 to help Torridge District Council achieve net zero by 2030 has been told it needs to be more proactive after putting forward just three recommendations for action.

It’s asked for water fountains to be installed at key locations so people don’t buy botted water and for half of the food at events catered by the council to be plant-based.  It’s third suggestion is that it should be given a half a million pounds for unspecified projects.

All three ideas have been turned down.

The council says there isn’t enough evidence to prove that drinking fountains reduce single-use plastic and promoting plant-based food isn’t fair on farmers.

One councillor said at the time, which was in the wake of a protest in London over the government’s plans to introduce inheritance tax on farm assets over £1 million, that it would be “a stand against the countryside”.

Its request for a £500,000 “pot of gold” to tackle climate change has also been denied.

Member of the climate change group Cllr Wendy Lo-Vel (Green, Northam) told the council’s internal overview and scrutiny committee discussing the budget this week that she is disappointed by the decision and there is never any money to do anything.

But committee chairman Simon Newton (Con, Winkleigh) said: “It’s not that people do not want to invest, but there needs to be a proposal and it needs to be costed so it can be properly considered.

“Just to ask for a pot of gold, that is not how we distribute money within the budgetary system. It has to be targeted at projects.”

He said the climate change working group has been told it needs to come forward with more ideas.

He added that money might be tight but other schemes budgeted for could be dropped in favour of new ones for the right projects.

Council chief executive Steve Hearse said: “Without something of substance, how can it be properly transparent and scored to let the rest of the council know it is value for money and a worthwhile project?”

Cllr Lo-Vel said: “My experience is every idea we came up with met with no money to do that, no budget, no way forward for tha,t which is why the climate action group was looking for a budget because the reports on viability of projects cost money.”

The climate change working group was established to collaborate with partners in the district, oversee the council’s carbon and biodiversity plan, identify support from central government and monitor funding opportunities.

The council’s climate change officer, Donna Sibley, recently reported that there had been no real decrease in carbons emissions at Torridge since 2020/21 and there had been a lot of discussion but “not a lot of recommendations.”

The council was told a lot more money would need to be spent if it wanted to get to net zero by 2030, the date set by many local councils to be carbon neutral.

Torrridge is one of the worst performing councils in England last year for tackling climate change, according to Climate Emergency UK’s scorecard.

Around £200,000 has been put into the 2025/6 budget to install solar panels and make other energy efficient improvements to the council’s estate.

Funding has been provided to decarbonise Holsworthy swimming pool.