The Environment Select Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 10 June 2025 in the Kennet Room at County Hall, Trowbridge¹. The agenda includes the election of a chairman and vice-chairman, and a discussion of the committee's work programme. The committee is also expected to receive verbal updates from cabinet members.

Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

The first items of business are the election of a chairman and vice-chairman for the upcoming year.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee is scheduled to discuss the development of its Overview and Scrutiny (OS) work programme. A report will be presented that sets out topics recommended for inclusion in the new Environment Select Committee (ESC) section of the OS work programme. These topics were agreed by the OS Management Committee at its meeting on 3 June 2025.

The report pack includes a list of topics recommended by the Environment Select Committee from the previous council for further scrutiny in 2025-29. These include:

• Climate Emergency: Continuing to focus on the development of a net zero Wiltshire.
• Swindon & Wiltshire Economic Strategy: Focusing on strategies that will deliver the economic development of Wiltshire.
• Homelessness Prevention Strategy: Focusing on the strategy for tackling homelessness in Wiltshire.
• Wiltshire Council Housing Board Annual Report: Focusing on improvements to the council housing stock, new builds and acquisitions.
• Housing Allocations Policy: Focusing on the management of the housing register.
• Highways Annual Review of Service: Focusing on the maintenance and development of highways.
• Speed Limit Assessments: Focusing on the delivery of a speed limit assessment system.
• Local Transport Plan (LTP4): Focusing on the delivery of the Local Transport Plan.
• Household Waste Management Strategy: Focusing on management of household waste, disposal, recycling and re-use.
• Household waste transformation programme: Focusing upon the development of a new household waste management programme.
• Climate Change Adaptation Plan: Being updated on the implementation of the plan.
• Local Transport Plan (LTP4): Being updated on the delivery plans in particular how they support reducing carbon emissions.
• Climate Strategy: Being updated on the delivery plans and progress against targets
• Carbon Offsetting Strategy: Update on the development of the strategy.

The report pack also contains a template work programme, including the following scheduled items:

• 15 July 2025: Highways Annual Review of Service 2024
• 15 July 2025: Update on the Maintenance and Management of Public Rights of Way
• 2 September 2025: Wiltshire Town Programme
• 2 September 2025: Review of the Housing Allocations Policy
• 13 November 2025: Household Waste Management Strategy Update
• 13 November 2025: Streetscene and Grounds Maintenance Contract Update

The report also proposes next steps for developing a comprehensive OS work programme, including:

• A face-to-face session for all backbench members on 1 July 2025, including training in how to conduct effective scrutiny and an 'issue prioritisation' exercise.
• Meetings between the select committee Chairs and Vice-chairs and their Cabinet and director counterparts.
• Ongoing discussions at formal meetings, informal committee workshops and engagement with relevant partners and stakeholder groups.

The report recommends that the committee approves the legacy topics as a starting point for the new Environment Select Committee's work programme, notes the next steps for developing the work programme, and approves the re-establishment of the Climate Emergency Task Group.

Cabinet Member Updates

The committee is scheduled to receive brief verbal updates from attending Cabinet Members (or Portfolio Holders on their behalf). These updates will highlight any news, successes, or milestones in their respective areas since the last meeting of the committee that are not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the Environment Select Committee meeting held on 4 March 2025 are included in the report pack.

The previous meeting included a presentation from Councillor Ian Blair-Pilling, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities, Leisure, and Libraries, and David Redfern, Director – Leisure, Culture, and Communities, regarding leisure services.

The committee also reviewed the work of the Climate Emergency Task Group, presented by Councillor Graham Wright, Chairman of the Climate Emergency Task Group.