Agenda item

(a)          Councillor Rebecca Jennings-Evans to move that

“this Council asks the Executive Head of Regulatory and Executive Head of Transformation to

(i)        undertake the relevant work to ascertain the level of food poverty across all sectors of the community in Surrey Heath and factors that are causing this;

(ii)       determine what action this Council can take to alleviate the problem where food poverty is found to be present in Surrey Heath, either through collaboration with its external partners or independently; and

(iii)      report on these matters to the Executive in early 2020 at the latest.”

(b)          Councillor Edward Hawkins to move that

“this Council supports the actions being taken by Surrey County Council in tackling the environmental impact on our daily lives and supports the Government’s aim of eradicating the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050.  The borough will

(i)            deliver a strategy in 2019/20 involving a Member and Officer Task Group which will be charged with outlining how we plan to deliver the target including actions that will be taken.  In doing so liaise with Surrey County Council in  urging government to confirm what support will be made available to local authorities;

(ii)          declare a ‘Climate Emergency’, and develops actions to support businesses and all relevant bodies in their work to tackle climate change; and

(iii)         develop a policy for the use of renewable materials and energy across the Council’s estate.”

(c)          Councillor Sharon Galliford to move that 

“this Council

(i)        declares a Climate Emergency;

(ii)       acknowledges that ‘business as usual’ is not an option in the face of the climate and biodiversity emergency that happening globally, and that society in its current form is unsustainable;

(iii)      agrees to make Surrey Heath Borough Council and its contractors carbon neutral by 2030, or earlier if possible, taking into account both production and consumption emissions;

(iv)     agrees that it will need to assess and adjust its current activities both in terms of their scope and how they are undertaken, this will involve the inclusion of environmental implications of recommendations in all officer reports alongside legal, financial and equality implications, including the impact of recommendations on CO2 emissions as well as any other relevant environmental factors;

(v)      agrees to establish a cross-party working group, comprising 9 members, to review and make recommendations to the Council on actions to be undertaken to address climate change; and

(vi)     agrees that the draft Terms of Reference, as circulated with this agenda, be finalised at the first meeting of the Working Group.”

It was moved by Councillor Rebecca Jennings-Evans and seconded by Councillor Valerie White that

“this Council asks the Executive Head of Regulatory and Executive Head of Transformation to

(i)            undertake the relevant work to ascertain the level of food poverty across all sectors of the community in Surrey Heath and factors that are causing this;

(ii)          determine what action this Council can take to alleviate the problem where food poverty is found to be present in Surrey Heath, either through collaboration with its external partners or independently; and

(iii)         report on these matters to the Executive in early 2020 at the latest.”

The Council considered the motion and it was suggested that, although the motion referred to food poverty specifically, the review should look at poverty as a whole.

It was suggested by some Members that homelessness and rough sleeping were issues related to poverty and should be considered as part of the same investigation and report. However, other Members felt that a review of poverty would encompass this matter and the specific reference to homelessness and rough sleeping could alter the focus of the review.

It was moved by Councillor Graham Tapper and seconded by Councillor Sharon Galliford that the motion be amended by inserting the words “and homelessness and rough sleeping” after “food poverty” in (i) and (ii) of the motion. The amendment was put to the vote and lost.

It was moved by Councillor Rebecca Jennings-Evans and seconded by Councillor Rodney Bates that the motion be amended by removing the word “food” from (i) and (ii) of the motion. The amendment was put to the vote and carried. As a consequence, it became the substantive motion, which was then put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED to ask the Executive Head of Regulatory and Executive Head of Transformation to

(i)        undertake the relevant work to ascertain the level of poverty across all sectors of the community in Surrey Heath and factors that are causing this; 

(ii)      determine what action this Council can take to alleviate the problem where poverty is found to be present in Surrey Heath, either through collaboration with its external partners or independently; and

(iii)     report on these matters to the Executive in early 2020 at the latest.