The Climate Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday 11 June 2026 to discuss the work of the Neighbourhoods and Environment Directorate and to review the council's climate action progress. The committee also considered potential items for its future work programme.

Introduction to Services

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of the work undertaken by the Neighbourhoods and Environment Directorate. This report aimed to provide members with an outline of service priorities, challenges, risks, and relevant national policy changes. The directorate encompasses a wide range of services, including the Climate Team, Recycling Team, Parks and Open Spaces, Sports and Leisure, Neighbourhoods Team, Highways and Parking, The Hive (environmental education centre), Air Quality and Environmental Protection, Culture and Registration Service, and Libraries. Each of these services has specific priorities for the 2026-27 municipal year, such as increasing recycling rates, enhancing biodiversity, improving air quality, and delivering cultural programmes.

Key challenges identified across these services include the low uptake of heat pumps for domestic decarbonisation, difficulties in securing funding for facility refurbishments, and the complexities of managing waste and recycling in line with evolving national policies like DEFRA's Simpler Recycling initiative. The report also highlighted the policy context, including the Warm Homes Plan and the potential for a new statutory climate duty for local government.

The Scrutiny Report

The committee was invited to review and suggest items for the 2026/27 municipal year's forward plan. A list of potential topics was provided, including:

• Biodiversity Net Gain: Examining how the 10% biodiversity net gain is measured on new builds, with a focus on cases where targets have not been met or have been exceeded.
• Electric Vehicle Charging in Mixed-Tenure Buildings: Re-examining provision for EV charging in mixed-tenure buildings and residential blocks, exploring incentives for green solutions and strategies to support a green cooperative sector.
• Community Group Involvement: Reinvigorating the active involvement of community groups in committee discussions and linking this to the cultivation of a local green sector.
• River Cleanups: An overview of support for river cleanup groups, mechanisms for holding third-party organisations accountable, and clarification of responsibilities for waterway issues.
• Friends of Parks Groups: A potential joint scrutiny item with the Culture team to establish a uniform approach to regulating and maintaining relationships with Friends of Parks groups.
• Data Utilisation: An item focusing on how the council uses data, including insights from academic partnerships, to inform climate and environmental decisions.
• Climate Action Plan Review: An early review of progress against the Climate Action Plan to inform subsequent agenda items.
• New Build Legislation (Heat Pumps/Solar Panels): Monitoring the potential impact of new government legislation requiring the installation of heat pumps and solar panels in new build properties.

The committee was also asked to review the Action Tracker and Recommendation Tracker from previous meetings.

Climate Action Progress

The committee was scheduled to discuss the council's progress on its climate action plan. This included an examination of the reported 34% drop in carbon emissions over the last decade, with an estimation that approximately two-thirds of this reduction was attributable to the decarbonisation of the national grid, and one-third to the council's direct actions. The report also addressed the low uptake of the energy upgrade loan scheme for private landlords and outlined strategies for engaging local organisations to increase participation in climate plans. The significant challenge of fuel poverty in the borough, affecting over 13,631 households, was also highlighted, with the council aiming to scale up its retrofit efforts to address this issue. Details on waste saved from recycling and reuse fairs were also to be discussed.