Call for more action on climate change in South Tyneside

Councillors have welcomed efforts to slash carbon emissions at South Tyneside Council – but opposition members say more should be done.
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At a meeting of full council this week, councillors heard an annual update on the council’s climate change strategy “Sustainable South Tyneside” and progress against targets.

The strategy, which was developed following a climate emergency declaration in July 2019, made a pledge for the council to become carbon neutral by 2030.

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This included targets to achieve a 25% reduction in emissions by March 2023 and a 50% reduction by March 2025.

The issue was discussed at South Shields Town Hall.The issue was discussed at South Shields Town Hall.
The issue was discussed at South Shields Town Hall.

Cllr Margaret Meling, cabinet member for economic growth, skills and climate change, said the council was on track to hit its three-year (25%) target and had already achieved a 16% reduction against its baseline position.

The cabinet member referenced projects highlighting the council’s “commitment to climate change” at South Shields Town Hall, including the Jarrow Viking Energy Network, Hebburn Minewater scheme and South Shields Holborn scheme.

The meeting heard the council had invested into electric vehicle charging points and electric vehicles while supporting tree planting and habitat creation schemes, alongside producing a ‘climate change toolkit” for schools and businesses.

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Looking forward, the council is also supporting wider regional work to create more ‘green jobs’, as well as progressing with local projects to educate communities on low carbon travel, heating and food.

Cllr Joan Atkinson.Cllr Joan Atkinson.
Cllr Joan Atkinson.

However the Sustainable South Tyneside report was not without criticism from the council’s Green Party opposition group, with a number of members raising concerns.

Councillor David Herbert said the emissions considered in the annual report were “narrow in scope” and did not include emissions from the council’s own housing stock.

The Green Party councillor also referenced the council’s emerging local plan, which proposes housing allocation sites for future developers to deliver more than 5,000 homes by the end of March 2039.

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Although the plan is in draft form and under consultation, Cllr Herbert said thousands of the houses were “not needed” as the borough’s population was falling and stressed the local plan would have negative impacts on emissions.

Councillor David Herbert.Councillor David Herbert.
Councillor David Herbert.

This includes the proposed loss of a number of Green Belt sites, which serve as a “carbon sink” and the increase in vehicular journeys linked to new homes.

Cllr Herbert said this was relevant in the context of South Tyneside Council’s leader previously signing the UK100 pledge, which sets targets for area-wide carbon emission reductions by 2045.

During debate, Labour Group members said that discussion of the UK100 pledge and local plan was not directly linked to the Sustainable South Tyneside strategy item and should not be discussed at the meeting.

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Other concerns raised by Green Party councillor, Sue Stonehouse, included health impacts from air pollution and wider council emissions.

This included the impact of the council being tied to a 25-year waste treatment contract with waste incinerated in Teesside as part of a ‘energy from waste’ process.

Councillor David Francis, Green Group leader, said issues such as “outsourcing some of our emissions to elsewhere in the region” should be considered in line with the “intent” of the 2019 climate emergency motion.

While “celebrating” investment and progress made against the council’s strategy, Cllr Francis asked for proposed ‘climate impact training’ to be rolled out to all council employees and especially those making “strategic decisions”.

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Green Party councillor Andrew Guy added the local authority had to “go back to basics” to reduce its carbon footprint – including looking at the operation of buildings and the use of lights and heating.

Elsewhere, Conservative councillor Ian Forster raised concerns about sewage discharge into the sea at Whitburn and whether it would clash with a multi-million pound ‘Stronger Shores’ investment to improve the coastline.

Labour councillor Ernest Gibson, cabinet member for transport and neighbourhoods, said concerns had been raised on “many occasions” and on a “national scale”.

Cllr Gibson added that talks were planned with Northumbrian Water to look at the issue and that the “water board is taking heed” of concerns.

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Labour councillor Joan Atkinson, deputy leader of the council, closed the debate and reflected on the progress made since the climate emergency declaration.

Cllr Atkinson said the motion agreed in 2019 was “achievable and measurable” and that all councillors had a role to play in providing challenge in committees and working groups.

She said South Tyneside councillors were “all signed into this [council target]” and that the local authority would “work to get better every year”.

Cllr Atkinson went on to say: “We’re ambitious and we will not rest until we have met this target.

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“If we can meet it sooner than what we set out, we will do and I hope everyone can join in with that.”

The climate change declaration made in July 2019 included a number of commitments, including taking all necessary steps to make South Tyneside Council carbon neutral by 2030, leading by example, writing to the Government to push for change nationally, and producing a comprehensive climate change strategy.

Preparing a report for full council on at least an annual basis setting out performance against agreed targets and recommending any amendments to the published action plan was also included.

The motion was put forward by the Green Party and amended by the Labour Group at the meeting before being voted through unanimously.

It followed national calls to go green after a UN report that year warning that 11 years remain to prevent irreversible damage from climate change.