The Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Climate Biodiversity Cabinet Panel met to discuss the borough's climate action progress, including a new small grant scheme, updates to woodland management, air quality, and energy efficiency standards for private rentals.

Adoption of a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards Policy

The panel was scheduled to consider a recommendation to adopt a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) policy, as an addendum to the council's existing Civil Penalty Policy. The MEES policy was designed to enforce The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, which aims to improve the energy efficiency of privately rented properties, and applies to properties with an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of F or G. Under the regulations, landlords are required to bring their properties up to a minimum EPC rating of E before letting them, unless they have a valid exemption. The report pack stated that the council's Private Sector Housing team is responsible for enforcing MEES, and that the policy would provide guidance to officers, businesses and the general public on the available options for achieving compliance. The report pack noted that there were approximately 8328 privately rented homes with EPC's logged on the gov.uk database, and that of those, 11% had an EPC rating of E or below, and 1.3% of those homes in the borough had an F or G rating. The report pack stated that the maximum penalty a landlord can be charged under this legislation per property is capped at £5,000. The report pack also included an Equality Impact Assessment (EQiA) for the MEES Policy, which noted the potential for positive impacts on protected groups for age and disability, as people of all ages benefit from improvements to their domestic property.

Northaw Great Wood 10 Year Management Plan

The panel was scheduled to consider approving a stakeholder consultation on the proposed Northaw Great Wood Management Plan. Northaw Great Wood, at approximately 120 hectares, is one of the three largest remaining semi-natural deciduous woodlands in Hertfordshire. The report pack stated that the current 10-year plan for Northaw Great Wood would finish at the end of 2025, and that a new plan had been prepared for the next 10 years, building on the progress of the last plan. The report pack stated that the long-term vision for Northaw Great Wood focused on maintaining it as a diverse, resilient, and historically rich woodland, supporting biodiversity, public enjoyment, and sustainable management practices. The report pack also stated that the management objectives were designed to ensure sustainable forest management while considering environmental, economic, and social factors, including maintaining open woodland and wood pasture features, ensuring long-term continuity and resilience of oak/hornbeam woodland, enhancing habitat condition and diversity, preserving historic and archaeological features, providing a safe and attractive visitor experience, and detecting and managing pests, disease, and invasive species early. The report pack stated that the following organisations would be contacted to comment on the plan directly:

• Natural England
• Forestry Commission
• Hertfordshire County Council
• Northaw and Cuffley Parish Council
• Friends of Northaw Great Wood
• Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
• Herts Natural History Society
• WHBC Biodiversity and Climate Change Cabinet Panel The report pack stated that a formal public consultation would be held from 11 September 2025 to 10 October 2025 to inform residents and gather feedback on the proposed plan.

Climate Change Update Report

The panel was scheduled to discuss a report outlining progress against Welwyn Hatfield Council's corporate priority on 'Action on Climate'. The report pack stated that the council has targets to be net zero as an organisation by 2030 and as a borough by 2050. The report pack stated that the council's Climate Action Plan (CAP) includes approximately 100 targeted actions designed to support the delivery of the Transition to Net Zero Strategy (TTNZS). The report pack highlighted progress on several CAP actions, including:

• Action 5 - seeking and promoting schemes around the borough: The council received £20,000 from the National Lottery Awards for All England grant to install energy-generating outdoor gym equipment in the King George V playground.
• Action 10 - development of a clear communication strategy for the climate agenda: The climate change team has been working with the communications team to develop a Climate Change Communication Strategy.
• Action 33 - working with local volunteer groups to better manage woodlands, trees, and open spaces: The council hosted a volunteer thank you evening in June.
• Action 91 - calculation of the council's own carbon emissions and boroughwide emissions: This paper was not ready for this meeting's agenda and will be brought to the next panel meeting.
• Action 16 - working with partners in education to develop climate education opportunities in schools such as events, workshops: Welwyn Hatfield is working in partnership with Let's Go Zero to support schools on their journey toward greater sustainability.
• Action 48 - Government funding programmes for on and off street electric vehicle charge points: Hertfordshire County Council, as the tier 1 authority, were awarded funding to deliver the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund¹. Welwyn Hatfield's participation was approved by an executive member decision notice.
• Action 67 - working with private landlords to implement Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES): The implementation of a policy is covered in another item on the agenda.
• Action 32 - Maintaining up to date management plans for woodlands and open spaces: The updated management plan for Northaw Great Wood is covered in another item on the agenda.
• Action 100 - Meeting national air quality objectives and monitoring AQ around the borough: The annual air quality status report is covered in another item on the agenda.

2025 Air Quality Annual Status Report

The panel was scheduled to consider the 2025 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR) and agree that it could be submitted to the Department for Environment Food and Rural affairs (DEFRA). The report pack stated that air pollution damages lives with harmful effects on human health, the economy and the environment, and is the largest environmental risk to the public's health, contributing to cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases. The report pack stated that the Environmental Health Team regularly monitors levels of air quality across the borough, for both particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. The report pack stated that Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council does not have an air quality management area², as no locations are above the limit values at this current time. The report pack stated that the monitoring results from 2024 demonstrate that overall, pollution levels have fallen.

Climate Action Small Grants

The panel was scheduled to consider a request to use £5,000 from the climate change earmarked reserve to create a 'Climate Action Small Grant' scheme. The report pack stated that the grant scheme would benefit small-scale projects which align with the objectives of the Transition to Net Zero Strategy. The report pack stated that the council wants to encourage, support and enable residents and organisations to get involved, take positive steps to progress their respective net zero journeys and become more sustainable. The report pack stated that the £5,000 would be divided up to provide funding for approximately 10 projects, who would receive £500 each. The report pack included the eligibility criteria, an application form, and an evaluation form. The report pack stated that the Climate Change Officer would make recommendations on the allocation of grants based on a scoring mechanism, and that the Executive Member for Climate Change and the Chair of Climate Biodiversity and Cabinet Panel would be consulted on the Climate Change Officer's recommendations and then proceed to make decisions accordingly.