Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and Cultural Services presented the report of the Director: Communities, Customer and Commercial Services

This report provided an update on the 2021 Climate Change Fund and sought approval to repeat the funding for 2022. There were modifications from the previous year based on the experience of implementation in the last round of funding.

The fund was first launched in February 2021, as part of the Council’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030. The grant funds original £100,000 budget had been increased to around, £131,000 and was awarded across 35 projects. A further £200,000 was sought for another round of the Climate Change Fund.

Cabinet expressed thorough support for the proposals, noting that the Council was taking action to address the climate emergency within the Borough whilst calling for a national response to the climate crisis.

The report was welcomed by the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups.

RESOLVED - that Cabinet:

(i)            Notes the impact of the Climate Change Fund in supporting a wide range of projects across the Borough.

(ii)       Authorises the allocation of a further £200,000 to launch another round of the Climate Change Fund – aiming to invite applications in July 2022.

(iii)      Delegates authority to the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces Natural and Historic Environment and Director: Communities, Customer and Commercial Services to agree terms and any documentation to give effect to the implementation of the fund.

(iiii)     Agree that applications to the Fund be determined by a Panel comprising the lead Cabinet Member forClimate Change, Green Spaces Natural and Historic Environment and Director: Communities, Customer and Commercial Services in addition to, where possible, representatives from the Telford & Wrekin Borough Climate Change Partnership and a representative from the Council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee.