Meeting documents

To consider the following requisitioned items:

A – To Declare an Ecological Emergency

B – Cost of Living

C – Cost of Living Crisis

D – Local Community Networks

The Council resolved:

Declaration of an Ecological Emergency

1.       That in addition to the work already underway, it will take on the responsibility as Lead Partner in the delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) (this has already been agreed with Natural England), with partners in the established Local Nature Partnership and deliver a Strategy with a set of clear actions to bring about a reversal of the negative impacts on the natural environment and biodiversity and to develop strategies to mitigate against the possibility of further decline or damage on the habitats, flora and fauna of Somerset.

2.       To incorporate the details of the Ecological Emergency, the desired outcomes and any identified actions, including those within the LNRS into the next iteration of the Climate Emergency Strategy.

3.       To ensure "tackling the climate and nature emergencies" policies are at the heart of everything this council does and is embedded it into all Council decision making processes.

4.       To add ecological impact implications assessment alongside those for climate and sustainability in committee and council reports.

5.       In collaboration with the 4 District Councils, the Council will use existing and emerging planning policy and development management to ensure biodiversity is improved, environments enriched and the destruction of habitats is resisted when development occurs.

6.       Work similarly with the 4 Districts Councils to develop the Councils response to the phosphates issue affecting the Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar site catchment area.

7.       That Somerset County Council is already ranked by Climate emergency UK as the UK’s top County Council in tackling climate change and recognised the work done by County Council in recent years to achieve this.

8.       To encourage residents, businesses and landowners to reduce pesticide use, and seek to become a pesticide-free council.

9.       To encourage residents, businesses and landowners to eliminate peat use, and seek to become a peat-free council.

10.      To work with emerging government guidance and across the Planning System with the Planning Authorities to develop the Council’s approach and policies around the Ecological Emergency and will implement, measure and monitor the Biodiversity net gain approach in order to maximise the benefits from development.

Cost of living emergency

The Council resolved to declare a ‘Cost of Living Emergency’ and call on the Government to:

-         Immediately reduce the standard rate of VAT from 20 per cent to 17.5 per cent for one year, saving the average household in Somerset a further £600 this year.

-         Immediately re-introduce the pensions triple lock to support Somerset’s pensioners.

-         Immediately restore the Universal Credit supplement of £20, which was cancelled by the Government in September 2021.

-         Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to express the Council’s demands for VAT to be cut to 17.5%, for the re-introduction of the pensions triple-lock and for the £20 Universal Credit supplement to be restored.

-         Finally, Council joins other local councils in calling for a local Cost-of-Living Emergency Summit, with stakeholders, including Citizens Advice, Food Banks, Local Trades Unions, and Chambers of Commerce and will invite local MPs to attend this hybrid meeting

-         Establishing a proportionally representative cross-party working Group to recommend to the Executive and November Full Council other practical steps that this Council can take to alleviate the impact of the cost of living on the most vulnerable.

-         It was further agreed that the following points be referred to the next available Executive Meeting for consideration:

• Immediately making £1 million available from reserves to further assist Citizens Advice, Food Banks and other relevant agencies to offer practical support for those who are suffering most from the crisis

• Withdrawing the recently implemented £40 increase to SEND transport and post-16 education travel

• Immediately introducing the LibDem manifesto ‘Liberteen’ bus pass commitment to subsidise young peoples travel around the County

• Immediately restoring the Health and Wellbeing fund of £5,000 per Councillor from reserves to enable individual County Councillors to target localised areas of suffering particularly in their deprived communities

• Recognising that by harmonising to the lowest District Council tax level as part of the LGR process no further financial strain will be placed on individuals and will support those already under pressure

Cost of living crisis

To address these inequalities, the Council resolved to:

•         Write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer condemning the decision to exclude vulnerable people from meaningful support with the cost of living crisis and demanding that they immediately act to address this inequality and ensure that arrangements for paying the rebate to the excluded groups are put into place.

•         Write to Somerset MPs asking them to lobby the government to increase cost of living help payments available to sick and disabled people with immediate effect.

•         Build on LGR and work with District partners to produce and publicise an information leaflet for private sector landlords in Somerset who charge for household fuel as part of rent urging them to pass on the rebate to their tenants especially those in shared houses or HMOs.

Local Community Networks

The Council recognised the vitally important role of Town, Parish and City Councils and resolved to:

•         Work with them to develop and deliver fully-funded Local Community Networks to support our Communities.

•         Bring forward comprehensive and consulted-on plans for establishing LCN’s to the November 2022 Full Council for approval.