We recently posted that DCC has declared a 'climate emergency'. Last week, another press release from Devon County Council announced 'Devon charts a course towards carbon neutrality'.
It's certainly a move in the right direction. DCC has pledged £250,000 towards developing a Devon Carbon Plan – a 'road map' to reduce carbon emissions – and has set up a Devon Climate Emergency Response Group. There are also plans for a 'citizens assembly' to ensure Devon’s residents have a voice in the process. DCC’s leader John Hart said:
Only by working together with strategic partners can we develop and implement an effective plan to ensure that Devon is on the right trajectory to meet the IPCC’s carbon reduction recommendations.
But what does DCC’s declaration of a 'climate emergency' actually mean? Others have recently been asking the same question:
Lots of local authorities, organisations and the UK Parliament have recently declared a "climate emergency"— Richard Betts (@richardabetts) May 20, 2019
But what does this actually mean? And what are they actually going to do?
Join us on Thursday evening at @UniofExeter to discuss!
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In particular, what does a council's declaration of 'climate change emergency' mean for planning? An article by PlanningResource tackles that very question, and quotes Ben Kite, managing director of environmental consultancy EPR, who argues:
What it hopefully does is create an expectation both within an authority and externally that those policies that are already in place and relate to climate change will have an elevated priority. So, if a planning decision is being made or something goes to appeal, those policies will carry a bit more weight.
For example, with DCC declaring a climate emergency you would hope the council might be slightly less eager to dismiss Objective 1 of the Devon Minerals Plan – see below – encapsulated in policies M1, M20 and M22, when it finally determines Aggregate Industries’ planning application to quarry Straitgate Farm and haul the as-dug material a total of 2.5 million miles for processing:
Within geological constraints, secure a spatial pattern of mineral development that delivers the essential resources to markets within and outside Devon while minimising transportation by road and generation of greenhouse gases, supporting the development of its economy while conserving and enhancing the County’s key environmental assets.
Devon County Council declares 'climate emergency' on January 9 and action plan to meet the IPCC's greenhouse gas recommendations. Pledge for Devon to become carbon neutral. https://t.co/eKc06u0O66— Devon County Council (@DevonCC) January 28, 2019
