To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2024.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 8 February 2024 as a correct record.

Report of the Strategic Director, Growth and Development

This report provides an update on the Council’s proposals to decarbonise the city’s housing, incorporating an update on Green Skills, and providing an opportunity for members to contribute to and influence these policy areas.  

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director, Growth and Development that provided an update on the Council’s proposals to decarbonise the city’s housing.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·       Providing an introduction and background;

·       An update on Social Housing, including Council owned properties;

·       Describing the programmes targeted at private homeowners and the private rented sector;

·       Cross tenure approaches and area-based schemes;

·       Information on research projects;

·       Resident engagement;

·       Discussion of work and skills, incorporating an update on Green Skills;

·       Funding arrangements;

·       Internal staffing resources;

·       An update on the approach to developing a Retrofit Plan; and

·       Conclusions.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·       That future update reports should include a visual representation that describes delivery of retrofitting by different tenures, this could be a graph or similar chart so as to understand progress against the stated ambition to retrofit 84,000 homes in the city by the end of 2025;

·       Recognising the complexity of this issue and the limitations presented as a result of the short-term funding pots of money that were available to the city;

·       The need for continual lobbying of the government for adequate, long-term funding to deliver the ambitions described;

·       Recognising the importance of delivering housing retrofit at scale as an important contributor to delivering the carbon reduction target for the city;

·       Noting that retrofitting was also a social justice issue, particularly in the context of the cost-of-living crisis;

·       Social Housing Providers should collaborate to deliver housing retrofit programmes and use their collective powers to achieve economies of scale when commissioning works;

·       Were loans available, rather than grants for residents wishing to undertake retrofit work on their properties; and

·       The position on new builds and the installation of gas boilers.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development acknowledged the ask from the Committee regarding a dashboard to report progress against the 2025 target and stated that consideration would be given to how best to provide this in future update reports. He commented that retrofitting work was part of the wider Housing Strategy for the city, adding that initially the work had been targeted at social housing using the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. He added that local Housing Providers had applied for and been awarded funding through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund also, however he highlighted the issues and challenges surrounding green skills to deliver the work at the scale and pace required. He commented that the projects that had been delivered, including the pilot zero carbon retrofitting in North Manchester had demonstrated proof of concept to drive this programme of work. He described the current challenges to delivery, namely inadequate and short-term funding arrangements, inflationary pressures and the need to improve tenant engagement on this important subject area. He said that delivery of retrofitting needed to be considered in terms of both addressing the climate crisis and the many benefits to residents, both in terms of living in more comfortable and cost-effective homes. In response to residents who were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

Report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing

This report provides the annual update on the delivery of the Green and Blue Implementation Plan together with information on the Biodiversity Action plan and new draft Tree and Woodland Action Plan.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing that provided the annual update on the delivery of the Green and Blue (G&BI) Implementation Plan together with information on the Biodiversity Action plan and new draft Tree and Woodland Action Plan.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·       Providing an introduction and background;

·       Describing the governance arrangements and the role of the G&BI Board;

·       Places for Everyone, noting that this had been recommended for adoption and would be going to Executive on the 15 March and Council on the 20 March for adoption by Council;

·       Local Plan, noting that the preparation of a draft Local Plan would include strong environmental policies around green and blue infrastructure, biodiversity and open space making full use of the up-to-date evidence produced through the G&BI Strategy;

·       Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Urban Green Factor, noting that a Manchester Urban Green Factor approach was being considered for inclusion within the Local Plan to ensure developers were delivering more green infrastructure;

·       An update on the G&BI Implementation Plan;

·       Information of the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) design guide;

·       Awards and recognition;

·       An update on the Tree Action Plan, including findings from the public consultation;

·       Providing an update on the delivery of the Manchester Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan; and

·       Key priorities for 2024/25.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·       Highways works and the planting of trees;

·       The need to increase leaf cover in the city centre to counter the heat island effect and increase carbon capture;

·       Trees on Council owned land and what protections were in place to protect these in the event that the land was sold;

·       The need to ensure that urban waterways were free of rubbish and pollution to promote biodiversity, noting the complexity of this due to the different owners;

·       The approach to weirs;

·       How was the 10% uplift in biodiversity provision that all developments would be expected to provide calculated and how would this be enforced;

·       The learning from the delivery of the West Gorton Community ‘Sponge’ Park should be used in all new developments;

·       Water recycling and the use of grey water should be incorporated into all new developments;

·       The need to ensure BNG was delivered on site when developments were delivered;

·       Noting the importance of planting the correct species of trees;

·       Noting the responses from the public consultation, adding that consideration needed to be given to increasing the response rate from different demographic groups; and

·       Paying tribute to the Arbor team for their continued advice and support to local Members.

The Director of Planning, Building Control and Licensing stated that the team worked closely with the Highways Department to deliver appropriate tree planting when schemes were delivered. She commented that the importance of tree planting to provide canopy cover and counter the heat island effect, especially in the city centre, was understood. She commented that this was considered as part of the wider sustainable growth  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report provides an overview of the provision and management of allotments in Manchester.  It provides an update on the progress made in the delivery of allotments since the service was restructured in 2020 and outlines next steps to make further progress.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) that provided an overview of the provision and management of allotments in Manchester.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·       Discussion of the current position and progress against Allotments Objectives;

·       The approach to increasing access to the use of allotments and food growing spaces;

·       Improvement to the quality of provision to ensure allotment sites were welcoming and accessible to all;

·       The approach to ensuring sustainable practice; and

·       Next steps.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·       Welcoming the work described and acknowledging the work undertaken by all officers involved in the work described;

·       Welcoming the decision to reduce plot sizes to increase uptake;

·       Welcoming the work to return to use derelict plots;

·       Had there been any analysis of the cost-of-living crisis and the use of allotments by residents to grow their own food;

·       Was consideration given to increasing the number of allotments and using other available green space for food growing opportunities;

·       Noting the current waiting lists and the level of unmet need; and

·       The use of pesticides, and had consideration been given to introducing an organic only policy across the city.

The Deputy Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods spoke of the many benefits offered by allotments. These included health and wellbeing, developing and strengthening community groups, supporting biodiversity and contributing the actions to address climate change.

The Parks Lead address the Committee by paying tribute to her colleague Sam Simpson who had been involved in the work described and who had sadly passed away last May. She wished to place on public record her recognition and appreciation of this work and the important contribution Sam made to the team.   

The Parks Lead stated that the report described the positive progress that had been achieved to date to understand the use of allotments, including the donation of excess produce to local food banks. She said that all opportunities for increasing provision were considered, noting the correct use and balance of green space needed to be achieved. She said that these opportunities would be explored through the local Neighbourhood Teams in close consultation with the local community.

The Strategy Manager, Parks commented that demand for allotments had increased, hence the work to maximise plot space on those existing allotment sites. He stated that this increase in demand was as a result of a number of factors, including an increase in population and the cost-of-living crisis. He commented that the introduction of the improved data management system would help improve turnover rates and help address issues when plots were left uncultivated. He further noted the comment from a Member and stated that any local issues could be picked up following the meeting.

The Parks Lead stated that local volunteer societies were important in the promotion of best practice on allotment sites, recognising that a lot of good work was already done in relation to the use of pesticides. She said that the ambition was to scale  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

This is a monthly report, which includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and any items for information.

The report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit which contained key decisions within the Committee’s remit and responses to previous recommendations was submitted for comment. Members were also invited to agree the Committee’s future work programme.

The Chair commented that she would be speaking with relevant Executive Members and Officers to scope the Work Programme for the new municipal year.

Decision

The Committee notes the report and agrees the work programme, noting the above comments.