The Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel met on 22 September 2025, and among other things, they received an update on the Beat the Cold scheme, and discussed the development of the Arts, Culture & Heritage Strategy, and the Climate and Nature Summary. The panel agreed to recommend that the Cabinet support the new delivery plan and governance mechanisms for climate and nature.

Climate and Nature Strategy

The panel considered the Climate and Nature Summary report, which aimed to update members on new arrangements for the governance, monitoring, and delivery of the council's climate and nature plans. The report also summarised work undertaken to date, and outlined the next steps to support delivery.

The report noted that much had changed since the council's Climate Change Action Plans were first approved in 2021, and that the council's targets for both operational and district emissions, and the plans for meeting those targets, needed to be reviewed. The need for a review had been identified by both elected members and officers, following the council's Corporate Peer Challenge¹.

Since the council's Climate Change Action Plans were originally adopted, the council has also adopted a Plan for Nature which sets out several suggested actions to support the recovery of nature across the district.

The key updates following the review and refresh were summarised as:

• The governance and delivery vehicle for both the Climate Change Action Plans and the Plan for Nature have been integrated, to formalise and align agendas.
• The existing Climate Change Working Groups for High Peak and Staffordshire Moorlands have been combined into a new, joint 'Climate and Nature Steering Group' to provide oversight and scrutiny to the delivery of the council's climate and nature plans. The first meeting was held in August 2025.
• A new delivery plan has been developed which defines 4 key themes: Mitigation, Change, Adaptation and Plan for Nature.
• All aims under the climate and nature plans have been reviewed and distilled down into 25 aims. Under each aim sits several actions (100+ in total) – actions have been through a prioritisation exercise.
• Communications and community engagement have been defined as key pillars supporting the whole delivery plan and all aims/actions.
• New spreadsheet tracker tools have been developed to monitor and report on delivery.

The next steps now that the initial review and refresh have been completed are summarised as:

• Collate and incorporate feedback from members on the new delivery plans, following the first Climate and Nature Steering Group.
• Establish additional officer groups for Heads of Service and principle/senior officers to progress and monitor the delivery, defining responsibilities for aims and actions, providing accountability and facilitating better cross-departmental working. These will agree milestones for completion and 'success' for each action / project under the delivery plan.
• Further develop tracker tools including work to define performance indicators, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
• Integrate relevant climate and nature objectives into team service plans.
• Publish the first communications bulletin and share widely with stakeholders.
• Define community engagement workshop themes and book in dates with stakeholders.
• Set agendas for forthcoming Climate and Nature Steering Group meetings.
• Seek formal agreement on proposed spend for the Council's Climate Change Reserves.

The panel were asked to consider the progress made to date, and provide a recommendation to Cabinet to support the new delivery plan and governance mechanism(s) for climate and nature.

The panel agreed to recommend that the Cabinet support the new delivery plan and governance mechanisms for climate and nature.

Beat the Cold Annual Update

The panel received the Beat the Cold Annual Update. Beat the Cold is an organisation that has delivered client-led support tailored to individual need across Staffordshire for over 25 years. Beat the Cold's Energy Advice Team includes skilled call handlers for triage and basic support, and qualified energy advisors for health referrals, and complex case work including home visits, and advocacy work with energy suppliers if required. Beat the Cold operates to a mix of short-term crisis relief such as energy and food vouchers, and longer-term measures such as referrals to retrofit schemes to improve the fabric of homes, reducing fuel poverty in the City. Beat the Cold is the commissioned Energy Advice Provider for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

The presentation included two resident stories:

• A single male, owner occupier, living in a two bed detached house in Forsbrook, who was vulnerable through health (neuro-brain condition). He self-referred to Beat the Cold via telephone, and was living in an F-rated property with electric storage heaters as only heating source.
• A single parent with a young child, living in social housing, unemployed, and receiving means-tested benefits. They had poor hearing, and were vulnerable due to having a child under 5 in the property. They met Beat the Cold at a community event, and had gas central heating on a credit meter, with an energy debt of £2,148, and were unable to afford both usage and debt repayment.

Development of the Arts, Culture & Heritage Strategy

Diana Hamilton, Project Manager, delivered a presentation in relation to the development of the Culture Strategy which covered the following topics:

• Creative Forums
• Common Themes across the Forums
• Imagining the Future
• Shared Priorities
• Challenges and Barriers
• Opportunities for Progress
• The Way Forward
• Public Survey Consultation with Communities
• Next Steps

Members highlighted the importance of a realistic action plan being part of the Strategy and commented on the amount of work required to be undertaken by September 2025.

Other matters discussed were young persons' perception of culture, successful events organised by Outside Arts, intergenerational projects and preparedness for a new unitary authority.

Other Matters

The panel also:

• Approved the minutes of the previous meeting held on 7 July 2025.
• Noted the minutes of the recent meeting of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel.
• Agreed the Work Programme.