The Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee met on Wednesday 17 February 2021, approving an updated Climate Emergency Action Plan and confirming an Article 4 Direction for Cole Park Road. The committee also reviewed the revenue budget for 2021/22 and the Quarter 3 budget monitoring report.

Richmond Climate Emergency Strategy Action Plan - 2021 Refresh

The committee discussed the progress of the Richmond Climate Emergency Strategy and Action Plan, which was developed following the Council's declaration of a climate emergency in June 2019. Updates were provided on various initiatives, including efforts to address Scope 3 carbon emissions, which encompass emissions from council activities beyond direct heating, such as waste, business travel, and staff commuting. The complexity of gathering this data was highlighted, with work underway to develop a London-wide framework for consistent information requests.

Discussions also covered the planned capital expenditure for a new boiler and air conditioning system at Teddington Pool, with a commitment to reviewing all current gas boiler replacement schemes to ensure low-carbon heat sources are considered for future projects. A paper on these proposals is scheduled for the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee in June.

The Green Homes Grant scheme was explained, detailing its two elements: a voucher system for the public and a local authority delivery scheme targeting low Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rated homes and low-income households. The Council has received approximately £500,000 for each of the two phases of this scheme, which aims to improve home energy efficiency. While uptake has been slower than anticipated, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about allowing people into homes, the Council is encouraging applications and exploring remote technologies for initial assessments. A second phase of the scheme is expected, and the Council plans to bid for further funding. The committee noted that Friends of the Earth had raised queries regarding the scheme, and the Chair committed to sending a response.

Further work on communication and public engagement regarding the climate emergency and energy efficiency is planned. The Council website has been updated with information for individuals and businesses on addressing climate change. The committee also noted that wood burning stoves are a source of small particulate matter and that discussions are underway regarding participation in a potential study on PM2.5 fine particulates and air pollution.

Plans for a week-long programme of online and in-person events connected to the COP26 summit in November were discussed, to be led by the Council and local community groups.

In relation to waste, plastics, and the circular economy, the committee heard that there is currently no data on the effect of new split bins for recycling and waste. Further communication on composting is being developed, and the Council is looking to introduce food waste collection from commercial premises and schools. Barriers to composting and food waste collection, such as bin size, were discussed, with officers undertaking to investigate the feasibility of smaller home composting bins. For garden waste, smaller bins are unlikely due to vehicle transfer processes, but garden waste bags are available as an alternative.

The inclusion of building site pollution in the air quality action plan was raised, given the number of large-scale developments planned for the Borough. The Director of Environment and Community Services advised that the Regulatory Services Partnership has significant expertise in this area, benefiting from experience in Wandsworth, and that the new Local Plan will also address this issue.

The Twickenham Town Centre Clean Air Village bid was explained as part of a DEFRA-funded partnership project. This initiative includes a trial period offering cargo bikes and drivers to businesses to encourage a switch from local van journeys to sustainable transport. Businesses can trial the scheme to assess the impact of switching to electric vehicles or bikes. Eco-fleet is examining waste consolidation in relation to cargo bike usage, though uptake has been reduced by the pandemic. The outcome of the fourth round of funding is expected in March or April.

The committee discussed using green spaces for pocket gardens to support bees, agreeing that individuals and park groups should be encouraged to undertake such initiatives. The Chair also committed to discussing this with the parks team. The importance of veteran trees for the Borough's biodiversity was noted, with the hope that they could be featured in dedicated walks.

Regarding water management and flood abatement, a bid has been submitted to DEFRA for flood resilience work in collaboration with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Friends of Barnes Common, focusing on nature-based solutions around the Beverly Brook catchment area. Smaller schemes to address local flooding and enhance the street scene are also being considered. The flooding of Kew Road was mentioned, and the issue of gully cleansing was noted as having been discussed at the Transport and Air Quality Committee, with resources and response times generally being good. The development of a surface water management plan is included as a budget item.

The committee queried how the Council can verify the energy consumption of third-party organisations, such as Microsoft Cloud computing, in relation to becoming carbon neutral. Data centres are considered environmentally preferable to traditional storage and will be included in the Council's Scope 3 emissions. The challenge of holding large international organisations like Microsoft to account was acknowledged.

The committee noted that Friends of the Earth had raised concerns about fuel poverty and whether the Council should support increased energy use. Officers indicated their intention to examine the links between fuel poverty payments and eligibility for the Green Homes Grant, as well as its connection to energy efficiency work by Thinking Works. Work has also been undertaken with the Richmond Housing Partnership to secure Green Homes Grant funding for three of their properties.

The Climate Change Steering Group, comprising senior officers, meets every six weeks to ensure progress on the action plan and alignment with Member priorities. A major review of projects will be necessary to assess their effectiveness and keep pace with technological advancements. The legacy pavement repair and tree re-stocking programme is ready to commence.

The Committee:

• Noted the carbon emissions data for Richmond Council.
• Noted the updates on progress against the Richmond Climate Emergency Strategy and Action Plan.
• Approved the updated Richmond Climate Emergency Action Plan.
• Noted the funding for climate-specific projects.

Final Conservation Area Appraisals for Adoption and Confirmation of Cole Park Road Article 4 Direction

The committee confirmed an immediate Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights for dwellings in the CA78 Cole Park Road Conservation Area. This decision followed a consultation on draft Conservation Area Appraisals, with officers providing responses to the points raised. Councillor James Chard noted a resident's comment on the condition of the junction of Cole Park Road, a concern he shared.

The Committee:

• Confirmed the immediate Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights for dwellings in the CA78 Cole Park Road Conservation Area.
• Noted the representations received in respect of the Article 4 Direction.

Revenue Budget 2021/22

The committee reviewed the proposed revenue budget for the Environment and Community Services department for the upcoming year. The budget includes an uplift of approximately £4.5 million, primarily to address consistent overspends in the base budget over the past two to three years, covering staff growth and the loss of commercial waste income at Townmead. There is also a significant increase in the budget for the development of the Local Plan and planning enforcement. Additionally, the service has received funding to compensate for income loss due to COVID-19, particularly in relation to the Council's sports service.

The impact of COVID-19 on service delivery was discussed, with the Director of Environment and Community Services noting that while working from home has been effective, the lockdown has reduced pressure on public space management due to changes in government policy on takeaway alcohol. The Operations Team has been heavily involved in the Council's COVID-19 response, including Lateral Flow Testing, and Registration Services has managed increased demand for death, burial, cremation, and registration services.

Questions were raised regarding toilet provision, with a plan in development for Richmond and Twickenham town centres, including the potential for temporary toilets. Concerns were expressed about the risk of encouraging bad behaviour with temporary provision. In the longer term, options for permanent toilet facilities will be considered, and the need to work with businesses that previously withdrew from the Community Toilet Scheme due to hygiene and social distancing requirements was highlighted.

Regarding the financial outlook for 2022/23, the Director of Environment and Community Services indicated that income losses have been estimated, though these may be underestimates, and will be supported by the corporate centre. The medium-term financial strategy will be presented to the Finance Policy and Resources Committee later in the year. The Council faces a corporate budget shortfall of approximately £4 million to £5 million due to COVID-19 costs, with a proportion of central government funding allocated to these costs.

New development management charges, primarily related to planning enforcement, were explained, with these new revenue streams to be reviewed next year. A rent review for Pools on the Park is scheduled to take place shortly and has been factored into the budget. The increase in the waste and recycling budget includes funding for a vehicle for increased collections at bring sites, though the revenue costs for additional collections are not yet funded.

The Committee:

• Approved the revisions to the charges with effect from 1 April 2021.
• Noted and commented on the proposed budget for 2021/22.

Quarter 3 Budget Monitoring Report

The Director of Environment and Community Services presented the in-year budget monitoring report for Quarter 3. The most significant budget variation for the committee this year is attributed to the costs of COVID-19, including increased expenditure on waste and recycling, emergency planning, and the provision of personal protective equipment, alongside a loss of income from areas such as sport and leisure. Excluding these COVID-19 related costs, there is an underlying base budget issue of £800,000, which has been addressed as part of next year's budget.

The Committee:

• Noted that the current projected overspend on the services for this committee is £816,000.
• Noted the position on the capital programme.

Performance Report for Quarter 3 2020-21

The Director of Environment and Community Services highlighted areas where performance had been impacted by COVID-19, such as reduced visits to library sites and Orleans House Gallery, resulting in several indicators not being met. The corporate performance team is reviewing how performance can be measured in the future given the impact of the pandemic on service use.

Conversely, some areas of performance have seen positive impacts from COVID-19, including an increase in e-book issues, with Richmond's library service being the top performer in London for this metric. The number of new e-library members has also increased.

The Committee:

• Noted the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports performance against key indicators.
• Noted that there are no key project and programme exceptions to report.
• Did not recommend any areas for performance for consideration as part of the Policy and Performance Review Board's 2020/21 workplan.

Forward Plan

The Forward Plan was noted with the following changes:

• The April meeting was agreed in principle to be cancelled, subject to confirmation on rescheduling the Procedure for Considering Negotiated Stopping Requests to the meeting on 1 June 2021.
• The Review of Sports and Leisure is to be scheduled for the committee in the autumn.
• The Cultural Commissioning Strategy and Library Strategy are proposed to be rescheduled for consideration after the Cultural Strategy.