Decision

That
Cabinet:
 

a)     
close the capital schemes in relation to climate
change and PV solar panels realising a saving of £414,341;
and

 

b)      
invest £309,915 of the savings identified at
a) in creating a new capital scheme in relation to the contribution
to Nottinghamshire County Council for the two major, tree planting
trees in the District.

 
Reasons for
Decision:
 
In line with the
objectives set out in the Community Plan, this is an opportunity to
create 2 significant woodland areas in Newark & Sherwood and to
offset some of our future carbon output. The schemes also protect
and enhance the district’s natural environment and green
spaces and reduce the impact of climate change.
 
Options
Considered:
 
Newark & Sherwood
does not currently hold sufficient land to be able to deliver
schemes of the size and scale being suggested within this report.
This is not a project we could deliver in our own right. We could
choose not to allocate funding to the project and this would leave a funding gap for NCC
to fill. This would be met in time through NCC selling carbon
offsets and would mean the scheme is likely to come to fruition in
Newark & Sherwood without NSDC support. However, we would not
have played a direct delivery role which would be at odds with
aspirations within the Community Plan and mean we would not be able
to claim 30% of the carbon as future offsetting.