Issue - meetings
Cabinet Panel on the Environment - Information Note September 2026
Meeting: 16/09/2026 - Cabinet Panel on the Environment (Item 12)
12 INFORMATION NOTE: COUNCIL ACTIVITY UPDATE AND ACTION TRACKER 
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INFORMATION NOTE OF THE EXECUTIVE MEMBER – ENVIRONMENT
This note highlights the topic for this Panel meeting as well as a Council Activity Update, and Action Tracker Review (at Appendix A) for the Cabinet Panel on the Environment.
Additional documents:
Decision:
Officers from the Policy and Strategy Team provided a verbal update on the Information Note entitled ‘Council Activity Update and Action Tracker’.
Minutes:
Audio recording – 07 minutes 13 seconds
Officers from the Policy and Strategy Team provided a verbal update on the Information Note entitled ‘Council Activity Update and Action Tracker’ and advised that:
· Documents relating to 24 different areas of sustainability had been produced with other authorities in Hertfordshire as part of work on Local Government Reorganisation.
· There had been a 36% reduction in non-recyclable waste since the waste service change a year ago.
· Screenings of the People’s Emergency Briefing (PEB) had been shown across the district over the summer, and locations for future screenings could be found on the National Emergency Briefing website.
· There were plans to offer a PEB screening to Officers and Members to improve their understanding of the climate crisis.
· A consultation on the Content and Evidence Base for the Local Plan, including a map of sites submitted for development, would take place from 13 October until 24 November 2026.
· A survey had been launched by the Green Space Team on the Council website on the use of parks and green spaces to help preserve and improve facilities.
· Green Space were also exploring water harvesting and recycling on allotment sites to reduce the use of water.
· A page on community energy had been put on the Council website with contact details for local groups and how to get involved.
· An EV staff salary sacrifice scheme had been introduced for Officers to help the Council to reduce its staff commuting emissions, and a staff survey had also been launched to understand staff community behaviours and identify actions to be taken from these.
· A mandatory green procurement checklist had been put in place to enable sustainability to be proportionally embedded into project procurements.
· The Government funded Warm Homes Local Grant Scheme continued to be delivered by the Council with installations delivered to 12 homes in fuel poverty in year 1, and installations planned for a further 30 homes in year 2.
· The North Herts Design Code Supplementary Planning Document, which incorporated sustainability in several forms had been published on the Council website.
· Internal communications related to sustainability continued to be promoted to staff to further their understanding of climate change both in their roles and personal lives.
· Carbon Literacy training, in addition to the internally developed sustainability e-module had also been promoted to staff and 93% had completed this.
· Ideas for presentations or topics at future Cabinet Panel meetings should be submitted to the Environment Panel inbox.
The Chair thanked the Policy & Strategy Officers for their presentation.