Purpose

Proposed
decision:
 
Adoption of the Kent County Council
Environment Plan
 
 
Background
Kent boasts a rich,
diverse and unique natural environment that benefits the health and
well-being of Kent residents and is crucial for sustainable
economic and social growth.
 
The Kent environment
is facing unprecedented challenges. Climate change, habitat and
biodiversity loss, flooding and sea level rises, invasive species
and pollutants contaminating our natural and marine ecosystems, air
and water quality problems and resource depletion are all issues
affecting the county.
 
The UK government has
responded to environmental challenges by implementing several key
policies and pieces of legislation including the 25-Year
Environment Plan, the Environment Act 2021, the 2023 Green Finance
Strategy and the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023. 
 
The pace of
legislative change has accelerated and KCC has responded by
developing its own knowledge, strategies and action plans in
response to the increase in duties and responsibilities required of
the Authority. 
 
The development of
policy and strategy has resulted in an explosion of environmental
activity that is delivering significant outcomes for and within
Kent. However, this activity is, by design, often focused on a
specific policy or target and does not benefit from a holistic
approach.
 
Financial challenges
including the withdrawal of both EU and UK government funding and
the financial pressures on the Authority have reduced the ability
to progress environmental activity at the pace and scale currently
needed to deliver required outcomes.
 
Kent County
Council’s Environment Plan outlines KCC’s role in
delivering the national agenda locally and focuses on a holistic
approach that delivers maximum benefits. The Environment Plan does
not seek to replace previous strategies and policies but acts as an
umbrella plan to provide clarity of priorities and action and
enabling progress to be made most efficiently and
effectively.
 
The Environment Plan
recognises the interconnected principles of Environment, Growth and
Health supporting mutual progress and providing significant
co-benefits without requiring fundamental changes to current or
future work.
 
The aim of the KCC
Environment Plan is to safeguard and improve our environment,
supporting healthy communities and sustainable growth. This mirrors
the governments approach to consider environment not as a solo
discipline but one embedded within health and growth to ensure
long-term sustainability.
 
The Environment Plan
aims to deliver on the following objectives to work towards the
overarching aim:
 

•         
Deliver green energy and reduce carbon emissions:
enable the delivery of green energy infrastructure in the county,
deliver net zero greenhouse gas emissions across KCC’s estate
and operations and collaborate with partners to achieve countywide
net zero emissions

•         
Adapt to a changing climate: assess the risks and
impacts of climate change and reduce the impact on our residents by
adapting to Kent’s future climate and more frequent severe
weather

•         
Reduce flood risk and manage water resources
effectively: mitigate flood risk and contribute to improving
community flood resilience, sustainable drainage and water
efficiency across the county.

•         
Protection and improve the natural and built
environment: drive nature protection and recovery across the
county, ensure that our habitats are abundant with wildlife and
plants and drive environmentally sustainable development

•         
Manage resources through a circular economy: manage
materials more efficiently by minimising wates and reusing and
recycling materials, enabling the development of a circular economy
in Kent

•         
Conserve and promote Kent’s natural beauty and
heritage: ensure that Kent’s historical environment is
sustained for future generations and promote public engagement with
our unique countryside and natural beauty
 
Actions to meet each
objective are set out in Section 6 of the Environment
Plan.   An annual monitoring report
of the plan will be provided that will outline planned activity for
each year and show progress made against each action ensuring that
the plan remains live and fit for purpose over time. The actions
that support the delivery of the objectives will be reviewed as
part of the annual report.
 
The adoption of the
Environment Plan supports the national delivery of environmental
outcomes. It also meets outcomes of priority 3 of Framing
Kent’s Future 2022-2026, ‘Environmental Step
Change’, which seeks to reach our Net Zero targets, protect
and strengthen our natural environment, work with our partners
towards Kent being Net Zero by 2050, explore options for carbon
zero energy production and use and ensure that the county is well
placed to adapt to climate change.
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member for Environment, I agree
to:
 

To adopt the Kent Environment Plan
on behalf of Kent County Council.

 

To delegate authority to the
Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment to refresh
and/or make revisions to the Strategy as
appropriate during the lifetime of the strategy.

 

To delegate authority to the
Corporate Growth, Environment and Transport to take relevant
actions, including but not limited to finalising the terms of, and
entering into required contract or other legal agreements, as
necessary to implement the decision.