Wokingham Liberal Democrats

Royce Longton condemns Tory inaction on climate change

Dr. Royce Longton, member for Burghfield Ward in Wokingham Constituency, is a botanist, now retired as Lecturer at Reading University

Liberal Democrats on West Berkshire Council are incensed at delays by the Conservative Administration in agreeing plans for positive action to tackle climate change. In September 2006 the Council unanimously passed a motion requiring a cross-party group to be set up to develop a comprehensive Climate Change Strategy. The Strategy would be aimed first at reducing the Council's own carbon footprint, and subsequently be rolled out across the West Berkshire community. A Task Group was established but has held only one meeting over a year ago (October 2006).

Lib Dem Environment Spokesman, Dr Royce Longton, said

"It is now almost universally accepted that Climate Change could result in large parts of the planet becoming uninhabitable within decades. Addressing this threat to life as we know it requires urgent action at all levels, from individuals through local communities to national governments. Councils are uniquely placed to coordinate action at a local level. So it is unforgivable that the Conservative Administration has done virtually nothing to implement the Council resolution passed fourteen months ago."

"Yes, I know they talk of "Cleaner and Greener" as one of their priorities", continued Councillor Longton, "and they have taken a few welcome steps like installing a wood-fired boiler at a school in Curridge. But what we need is a plan for concerted action throughout the Council, which will then set an example for action across the whole community. The Executive member for "Cleaner and Greener" undertook to "make sure that the relevant people have their relevant diaries consulted in the very near future to reconvene [the Task Group]" when I questioned him at a recent Executive meeting. Let us hope it reconvenes within a matter of weeks, not years!"

"A typical example of Tory inaction and drift that has so characterised the Administration since it took control in 2005," said Lib Dem Leader Jeff Brooks. "West Berkshire deserves better than this!"

Note:

Questions by Royce Longton and answers by Graham Pask, Executive Member for Cleaner and Greener, at the Executive Meeting on 1st November 2007 were as follows:

Question submitted by Royce Longton to the Executive Member for Environment and Public Protection and Cleaner Greener:

"In September 2006 this Council unanimously supported a motion requiring the establishment of a cross-party Task Group to develop a comprehensive Climate Change Strategy to be brought back to Council for approval. The Task Group has met once, twelve months ago in October 2006, to begin its work. Can the Executive Member for 'Cleaner & Greener' explain when it is scheduled to meet again, and when he expects it to report back to Council with a draft strategy?"

Graham Pask (Executive Member for Partnerships and Cleaner Greener) answered:

"Since May where the Leader of Council decided that the profile of Cleaner Greener and partnership working in West Berkshire should be raised very considerably, I was honoured with becoming the Executive Member for that role. I think it has demonstrated that West Berkshire is fully committed to developing its environmental credentials in recognising the fact of climate change.

"We have been beavering away with the Cleaner Greener theme as being one of the three priorities for the next few years. There was no intention for the Task Group to be disbanded, ignored or anything else, I would welcome its input and I will make sure that the relevant people have their relevant diaries consulted in the very near future to reconvene then I think it will be better for that Task Group to consider the timescale for reporting back to the draft Strategy if that is so decided and we will do that at the opportune time."

Royce Longton asked the following supplementary question:

"Does not Councillor Pask understand the urgency with which this Council and other bodies around the world must respond to the global climate change if for example 6 billion people are not to be displaced from their homes. Does he not think it is terrible that a year has gone by since that resolution of Council and we are still no nearer to developing a Council-wide strategy on this issue?"

The Executive Member for Partnerships and Cleaner Greener answered:

"Yes the first bit but I am not fully in agreement with the second bit because we do recognise and we will be working very quickly to do that, hence as I started off the answer to your original question, the raising of the profile, so I take the matter very seriously and I take your point on board."