To receive any questions from members of the public which have been submitted in advance of the meeting in accordance with the cabinet procedure rules. The deadline for the receipt public questions is midnight Thursday 29 February 2024.
Minutes:
1. Ralph Smyth
Why has the climate SPD that was due to be published last year been further delayed, and how confident is cabinet that it will be submitted before the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 phases out SPDs?
Response by Councillor Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development
The Climate Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) cannot come to cabinet until the end of the Local Government pre-election period, which is in force from 18 March – 2 May 2024, therefore the earliest date is 18 June 2024.
The SPD contributes to Southwark Council’s commitment to make the borough greener and more sustainable.
The SPD will bring in much needed technical guidance on key issues such as:
· Energy and carbon reduction
· Minimising flood risk and water efficiency
· Environmental protection and improving air quality
· Green Infrastructure, biodiversity and trees (including new government requirement for biodiversity net gain)
· Movement and transport
· Avoiding waste and minimising landfill.
This guidance will help planning applications consider green initiatives in line with the Southwark Plan 2022, and it is also an important step ahead of the Early Review of the Southwark Plan.
The Government have confirmed that SPDs will remain in force until planning authorities adopt a new style local plan, as set out in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act (2023). The legislation still includes a requirement for local authorities to prepare ‘Supplementary plans’, with the focus shifted to site specific or area wide policies and design codes. Therefore, much of the guidance in the Climate SPD references can be repurposed under the requirements of the new Act, continuing to play a vital role in the council achieving its net zero carbon target for 2030.
2. Jess Hinings
Why does the council's technology and digital strategy not propose anything more ambitious on climate than printing less paper? Such as the digital dashboard XR Southwark suggested to improve accountability, and enable residents and businesses to track the borough’s progress on its climate targets and goals.
Response by Councillor Stephanie Cryan, Cabinet Member for Communities, Democracy and Finance
Southwark Council is dedicated to doing our utmost for the environment and combating climate change through tangible actions outlined in our Technology and Digital Strategy 2024-2026.
To prioritise energy efficiency, we have implemented various Green IT practices, such as:
1. Virtualised Environments: Instead of using lots of separate servers, we make one server act like many, which saves energy and helps us manage things better.
2. Not Oversizing Systems: We make sure we only give our computer systems the resources they really need, which saves money and makes them work more efficiently.
3. Using Test and Backup Systems when necessary: We only turn on extra systems when we really need them, using smart technology to save resources and energy consumption.
4. We are also encouraging everyone to print less to help the environment.
5. Our plan doesn't stop there, as our strategy supports the many actions we are doing within the Council to end the climate emergency. For example, we use digital tools so people don't have to travel as much, which helps cut down on pollution.
The Technology and Digital service's performance is tracked within the council's delivery plan through key performance indicators and targets. Our future goal is to automate these reports using the data platform and PowerBi.
We welcome feedback on our strategies so we can continue to take a holistic approach to making the council greener and more sustainable.
The questioners were not in attendance. The leader confirmed their questions and responses would be included in the published minutes of the meeting.