Agenda item

To consider the report which has been prepared following a request from the Climate Change Informal Working Group.

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The Corporate Performance Manager presented the report which had been prepared following a request from the Climate Change Informal Working Group.

He provided background on the Partnership, current issues and work that had recently taken place to prioritise and refocus activities.

The Chair thanked the Corporate Performance Manager for his report and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

Councillor Devereux stated that the Council should remain a Member of the Partnership and felt that it was a strength to have access to information and work together with other organisations for the common goal.  He felt that the Partnership had been fundamental to the progress and success so far and was forum for identifying complex problems at a strategic level.  He asked the Corporate Performance Manager if he thought it would be detrimental to the Council if they left the Partnership and the Corporate Performance Manager commented that he felt it would be a retrograde step to withdraw.

Councillor Bubb, Chair of the Climate Change Informal Working Group explained that the Working Group had requested that this report be brought to the Panel for consideration as there did not seem to be much action coming from the Partnership, however he did think that things were now starting to move on.  He explained that the Informal Working Group had requested that all Councillors be kept updated on the work of the Partnership via the Members Bulletin going forward.

Councillor de Whalley asked how access to funding could be accelerated for the Partnership.  The Corporate Performance Manager explained that the Partnership now had the resources available to appoint a Partnership Manager who would be looking at grant funding opportunities and would be an invest to save post.  He stated that the collaborative approach to working and applying for funding would be an advantage.

Councillor Bullen commented that it was vital that the Council remained in the Partnership and asked if lessons had been learnt from other Partnerships.  The Corporate Performance Manager explained that practice across the Country had been looked at and there was ongoing dialogue with Suffolk Climate Change Partnership who were well established and had been running for over ten years.

Councillor Morley addressed the Panel under Standing Order 34, commenting that it was vital that the Council remain in the Partnership.  He commented that the Strategic Plans and Actions referred to annual reporting, which he could not find.  The Corporate Performance Manager agreed to check, but believed that reporting had taken place through the Portfolio Holder’s Report to Council.  The Corporate Performance Manager informed Members that a Climate Change Briefing session had been scheduled as part of the Members Induction Programme post Election.

Councillor Hipperson asked if the Partnership were looking at the consequences of any decisions they took and the Corporate Performance Manager explained that the Partnership’s recent work had include refocussing efforts and priorities and there were also Working Groups that could follow through on issues If required.

Councillor Bubb reminded those present that the Informal Working Group had made a request for update reports to be included in the Members Bulletin.  He also suggested that an annual update be scheduled into the Environment and Community Panel’s Work Programme.  The Corporate Performance Manager highlighted that annual reports had already been scheduled into the Corporate Performance Panel’s Work Programme and it was suggested that Members of the Environment and Community Panel could attend those meetings to avoid duplication.

RESOLVED: 1. The Panel felt that the BCKLWN should remain an active member of the Norfolk Climate Change Partnership.

2. Updates to be provided in the Members Bulletin as appropriate.

3. A request would be made to the Chair of the Corporate Performance Panel to invite Members of the Environment and Community Panel to attend the meeting that would present the annual update report.