The Green Sub Committee was scheduled to meet to discuss environmental educational campaigns, community energy schemes, and the committee's work programme for the coming year. The meeting was also scheduled to include a review of the minutes from the previous meeting.

Environmental Educational Campaigns

The committee was expected to discuss the design and delivery of environmental education campaigns, including those related to the future separate collection of food waste.

The council was already running annual clean-up events such as the Great British Spring Clean¹ and the Autumn Campaign, and had undertaken specific work to tackle dog fouling, including campaigns delivered with schools such as St Cuthbert's Primary School in North Shields to address dog fouling issues in Alexander Scott Park. A new campaign in Forest Hall was also planned following a request from Councillor Joanne Sharp.

The report pack noted that communications activity would focus on Mayoral priorities over the next three months, in particular promoting clean, green, safe neighbourhoods and highlighting work already being delivered in partnership with Housing and Environment teams.

The report pack suggested that the committee could provide input on a wider neighbourhood communications and campaign plan scheduled for the autumn, and that recommendations from the committee on how to strengthen ward-level communication could be fed into a review of local communications and engagement that was underway. It was also noted that ward-level data could be used more systematically to better target communications and campaigns, and that support would be required for the roll-out of separate kerbside food waste collections, and communications would be key to ensuring residents are fully informed.

Community Energy Schemes

The committee was scheduled to explore the potential around community energy schemes and help to prioritise future work in this area.

The report pack explained that community energy schemes can take many different forms, giving the examples of:

• the development of community-owned renewable infrastructure such as solar farms
• the creation of local groups that provide residents with energy advice
• homeowners opening their properties to showcase eco-renovations
• locally led retrofit projects
• initiatives that encourage switching to green energy tariffs
• car-sharing or other mobility clubs

It was noted that such projects are less common in the North East compared to other parts of the UK, which highlights both the challenge and the opportunity for future development.

The report pack identified several existing programmes that could provide a platform for community energy in the region:

• Solar Together, a collective community solar PV procurement initiative.
• iChoosr, a scheme supporting collective energy switching.
• NECA Regional One Stop Shop, an opportunity to raise awareness and promote support services.
• NECA Carbon Marketplace, a platform to explore and encourage local participation in carbon reduction initiatives.

The committee was expected to consider how the council can most effectively support the growth of community energy schemes in the borough, and which of the identified opportunities the committee should prioritise and promote.

Work Programme 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to consider the priorities for inclusion in the sub-committee's work programme for 2025-26.

The report pack included a copy of the current work programme, a scrutiny topic suggestion sheet, the terms of reference for the sub-committee, and the senior leadership team support arrangements.

The committee was reminded that an annual report is presented to annual council in May of each year, and that members of the committee should consider the contributions of the committee to that annual report in order that the work of the committee can be highlighted to full council in May 2026.

The current work programme included the following agenda items:

• Terms of Reference
• Work programme 2025-26
• Initial Discussion on Community Renewable Energy Schemes
• Initial Discussion on Littering and dog fouling – education and campaigns
• Abandoned Vehicle Briefing
• Littering and dog fouling – education and campaigns
• Community Renewable Energy Schemes
• Food waste Collection – Campaign and Update
• Wilding & Bio Diversity
• Annual Scrutiny Report 2025/26
• Draft Work Programme 2026/27

The report pack also included a list of other potential topics for consideration by the sub-committee, including safe transport for women and girls.

The committee was recommended to note the work programme as it currently stands and identify outcomes and objectives for the topics, and to note that all scrutiny members have been invited to contribute ideas for the work programme via a 'scrutiny suggestion sheet' that tries to capture objectives of each possible topic, and the benefits that scrutiny of the topic is intended to bring about.