Anger as Flintshire Council axes climate change group

A last-minute amendment to dissolve Flintshire County Council’s Climate Change Committee caused uproar this week in the council chamber.

As councillors were working through the annual business of appointing members to committees and scrutiny committees, deputy leader Cllr Richard Jones tabled an amendment to the constitutional appointment of committees to abolish the Climate Change Committee.

The amendment proposed replacing the committee with a ‘Committee Work Coordinating Group’ – or CWCG – made up of the chairs and deputy chairs of each scrutiny committee. The goal is to improve efficiency by embedding climate change responsibility into each individual department.

But the amendment sparked outrage among opposition councillors who received no prior warning of the motion and felt they were given no time to properly scrutinise the change.

Gwernaffield and Gwernymynydd Cllr David Coggins Cogan said: “I’m surprised to be receiving these papers as the member is only just proposing this idea yet this seems this has already been pre-planned.

“Why are we being jumped into this decision? If it’s such a great idea why not allow members to properly digest the implications.

“I don’t understand how this can be worked out when just four seconds ago it was proposed as an idea. Members should have been given advance notice. I think this is an incredibly poor show, shame on person who proposed it.”

After a lengthy adjournment for members to read over the proposal, Liberal Democrat Cllr Coggins Cogan continued: “As I understand it other groups were notified of the changes some 24 hours beforehand. We as just the mere chamber of Flintshire County Council only got it 10 minutes before we were asked to make a decision.

“Obviously someone considers that to be courteous and conducive to good governance, I would have to disagree.”

Penyffordd Cllr Alasdair Ibbotson, chair of the Climate Change Committee, also expressed anger at the move: “It is a direct breach of good faith that at the group leaders meeting where we discussed amendments Flintshire People’s Voice wished to table, other group leaders sat there knowing what they were planning to do and declining to extend the same courtesy.

“I move an amendment that climate change committee be reappointed for the forthcoming year. The reforms put forward today would remove most opposition groups from taking an active role in the work on climate change.

“The climate change committee has allowed for detailed scrutiny of the council’s carbon reduction strategy. It is also worth noting the extensive work the climate change committee has done in relation to its inquiries on flooding, which is due to come to this council shortly and on the pensions strategy.

“To scrap the climate change committee would be a travesty and lead to a de-prioritisation of this area of the council’s work.”

Cilcain Cllr Andrew Parkhurst, leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat group, added: “It’s quite clear council is being bounced into a decision on an issue which frankly we’ve had insufficient time to consider.

“I think there is merit in the new working group but I’m also very concerned about the abolition of the climate change committee. I think all of us in this room know what really lies behind that and I don’t think it is to enhance the work of addressing climate change, it’s more for political motives.”

And Broughton Cllr Chrissy Gee, also from Flintshire People’s Voice, said she was shocked.

“I just can’t believe that you want to take a committee away when you’ve got worsening problems in my area,” she said. “I’ve got people still not back in their properties in Broughton and I cannot see how you can take a committee away and put it on whatever you call this.

“It’s not fair on the residents and I think it’s politically motivated. I hope everybody votes in favour of keeping this committee.”

Supporters of the idea said it would make dealing with climate matters more efficient.

Buckley Bistre East Cllr Jones, who originally proposed the idea, said: “We are not taking anything away, we are simplifying it. Any member can still contribute through scrutiny committee as a member or as a visitor to the committee.

“Climate change is increasingly a subject that has become ‘business as usual’ with national targets now embedded within several strategies, workstreams and future plans of this council.

“The CWCG would provide a coordination role to scrutiny committees, chaired by the Governance and Audit Committee. It would also not require an SRA (Special Responsibility Allowance) payment, saving this council approximately £9,000 while giving consistent oversight.”

Cabinet member for Economy, Environment and Climate Cllr Chris Dolphin agreed: “We dont want a misunderstanding about climate change, it is not going away. The work will go on, it will just be simplified and go straight to the committee that needs to be talking about it.

“We end up with climate change matters sometimes going to four different committees. Duplication all the way for officers and for councillors.

“This group will simplify matters by directing what needs to go where so there won’t be so much duplication.”

Cllr Ibbotson’s proposal to preserve the Climate Change Committee fell while Cllr Jones’ original amendment to abolish it and replace it with the CWCG was approved.

An additional amendment to publicly stream CWCG meetings via the council website was also approved.

By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter