Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Climate Emergency

The Council has declared a climate emergency and is committed to achieving a target of zero carbon emissions by 2030 and helping local people and businesses to reduce their own carbon emissions.

A Cabinet Panel on the Environment has been established to engage with local people on matters relating to the climate emergency and advise the council on how to achieve these climate change objectives.

A Climate Change Implementation group of councillors and council officers meets regularly to produce plans and monitor progress. Actions taken or currently underway include switching to green energy, incentives for low emission taxis, expanding tree planting and working to cut food waste.

In addition the council is a member of the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership, working with other councils across Hertfordshire to reduce the county’s carbon emissions and climate impact. The Council’s dedicated webpage on Climate Change includes details of the council’s climate change strategy, the work of the Cabinet Panel on the Environment and a monthly briefing on progress.

Ecological Emergency

The Council has declared an ecological emergency and is committed to addressing the ecological emergency and nature recovery by identifying appropriate areas for habitat restoration and biodiversity net gain whilst ensuring that development limits impact on existing habitats in its process.

The Council has set out to do that by a) setting measurable targets and standards for biodiversity increase, in both species and quantities, seeking to increase community engagement, b) to work with our partners to establish a Local Nature Partnership for Hertfordshire and to develop Nature Recovery Networks and Nature Recovery Strategy for Hertfordshire and c) to investigate new approaches to nature recovery such as habitat banking that deliver biodiversity objectives and provide new investment opportunities.

Declaration of Interest

Members are reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and are required to notify the Chair of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda.  Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring a Declarable Interest, wishing to exercise a ‘Councillor Speaking Right’, must declare this at the same time as the interest, move to the public area before speaking to the item and then must leave the room before the debate and vote.

Having opened the meeting, the Chair advised that due to unforeseen circumstances, the presenter of Agenda Item 6 was unable to attend the meeting.  This being the substantial item of business, and there being no other items of business requiring urgent consideration, all items would be deferred to the next scheduled meeting.

Audio recording – 1 minute 29 secconds

Having opened the meeting, the Chair advised that due to unforeseen circumstances, the presenter of Agenda Item 6 was unable to attend the meeting.  This being the substantial item of business, and there being no other items of business requiring urgent consideration, all items would be deferred to the next scheduled meeting.

Members are required to notify any substitutions by midday on the day of the meeting.

Late substitutions will not be accepted and Members attending as a substitute without having given the due notice will not be able to take part in the meeting.

There were no apologies received as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

There were no apologies received as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

To take as read and approve as a true record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 2 April 2025.

The minutes from 2 April 2025 were not considered as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

The minutes from 2 April 2025 were not considered as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

Members should notify the Chair of other business which they wish to be discussed at the end of either Part I or Part II business set out in the agenda. They must state the circumstances which they consider justify the business being considered as a matter of urgency.

The Chair will decide whether any item(s) raised will be considered.

No other business was considered as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

No other business was considered as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

INFORMATION NOTE OF THE POLICY & STRATEGY TEAM LEADER

The information 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.

This item of business was not considered as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

This item of business was not considered as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

A presentation from Letchworth Heritage Foundation on their design principles and sustainability.

This item of business was not presented as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

This item of business was not presented as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public.

There was no public participation as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

There was no public participation as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

The Chair to lead a discussion regarding possible agenda items for future meetings.

This item of business was not considered as all items were deferred to the next meeting. 

This item of business was not considered as all items were deferred to the next meeting.