Council will consider a motion, notice of which has been given by Councillor Barrett, pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 12.

The provisions of Council Procedure Rule 12.5, (Professional Advice of the Council’s Statutory Officers on the Motion) require the Council’s three statutory officers (i.e. Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer and Head of Paid Service), once the Motion has been accepted as being valid, to produce a formal Advisory Note detailing any necessary initial professional advice in relation to the implications for the Council of that Motion. That Advisory Note will focus on implications for the Council relating to budgetary, constitutional or legislative requirements or staffing matters.

In this instance, the Council’s Statutory Officers have indicated that they do not need to provide any such professional advice and therefore an Advisory Note does not need to be produced on this occasion.

Further to declarations of interest made under minute 34 above, Councillors Bray, Harris, Keteca and Thompson withdrew from the meeting whilst this item was considered and determined.

Council had before it the following motion, notice of which had been given by Councillor Barrett pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 12:-

“This Council –

(a)     notes that Essex County Council has adopted clear and significant policies and strategies to protect the environment, tackle climate change and support nature recovery across Essex, and that these commitments have been presented as central to the county’s long-term wellbeing and resilience;

(b)     further notes that these policies are not symbolic gestures but are grounded in scientific evidence, statutory duties, cross-party commitments and years of partnership working, including through the Essex Climate Action Commission, the Climate Action Plan and the Local Nature Recovery Strategy;

(c)     therefore expresses its unequivocal opposition to any move by Essex County Council to dilute, delay, dismantle or walk away from its commitments on climate action, biodiversity, environmental protection or nature recovery, as any such retreat would be reckless, short-sighted and wholly contrary to the interests of residents, communities and future generations, particularly if pursued without proper consultation, transparent evidence or a credible public mandate;

(d)     resolves: (1) to reaffirm its full support for robust climate action, environmental protection and nature recovery across Essex; (2) to make clear its opposition to any attempt to weaken or remove existing strategies, protections or programmes in these areas without compelling evidence and full public accountability; and (3) to request that the Leader of the Council write to the Leader of Essex County Council in the strongest possible terms, urging that there must be no reduction in commitment to climate and environmental protection and that all existing strategies and programmes should be maintained and implemented in full.”

At the time that the agenda had been published it had been confirmed that the statutory officers did not need to provide any professional advice in relation to this motion and that therefore an Advisory Note pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 12.5 had not needed to be produced.

Councillor Barrett formally moved the motion, and Councillor Barry formally seconded the motion.

Councillor Barrett then indicated that he wished to alter his motion so that it instead read as follows:-

“This Council –

(a)   notes that Essex County Council previously adopted clear and significant policies and strategies to protect the environment, tackle climate change and support nature recovery across Essex, and that those commitments were presented as central to the county’s long-term wellbeing and resilience;

(b)   further notes that those policies were not symbolic gestures but were grounded in scientific evidence, statutory duties, cross-party commitments and years of partnership working, including through the Essex Climate Action Commission, the Climate Action Plan and the Local Nature Recovery Strategy;

(c)   therefore, expresses its unequivocal opposition to the recent move by Essex County Council to dismantle and walk away from its commitments on climate action as any such retreat would be reckless, short-sighted and wholly contrary to the interests of residents, communities and future generations, particularly if pursued without proper consultation, transparent evidence or a credible public mandate;

(d)   resolves: (1) to reaffirm its full support for robust climate action across Essex; (2) to make clear its opposition to this attempt to weaken or remove existing strategies, protections or programmes in the area of climate action without compelling evidence and full public accountability; and (3) to request that the Leader of the Council write to the Leader of Essex County Council in the strongest possible terms, urging that  Essex County Council reconsiders and reverses its decision to scrap "net-zero and greenhouse gas reduction" policies and to no longer commit to being a net-zero organisation by 2030, and to sever support for the Essex Climate Action Commission;

(e)  further requests that the Leader of the Council writes to the Leader of Essex County Council seeking:

1.  an itemised account of the climate, net-zero, biodiversity, nature-recovery and environmental commitments that will continue, be amended or cease;

2.  confirmation of the status of the Essex Climate Action Plan 2025–2028 and its constituent programmes;

3.  confirmation of the resources that will remain available for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, biodiversity, air and water quality, flood resilience and coastal environmental work;

4.  details of the anticipated savings arising from the changes and any assessment of potential financial, environmental, health or service consequences;

5.  confirmation of how progress will be monitored and publicly reported following the proposed ending of annual climate reporting and benchmarking; and

6.  a commitment to consult district, borough and unitary councils and other delivery partners before any further significant changes are made.

(f)    requests that Essex County Council’s response be reported to a future meeting of this Council so that Members can consider whether further representations or action are required.

The seconder of the motion (Councillor Barry) duly gave his consent to the alteration, as required by Council Procedure Rule 16.6(a) (Alteration of Motion).

In accordance with provisions of Council Procedure 12.6 Councillor Barrett then explained the purpose of the Motion and Council proceeded to debate it.

Councillors Barrett, Barry, Smith, P B Honeywood, I J Henderson, Scott, Morrison, Calver, Doyle and Alexanderspoke during the debate on this matter.

Pursuant to the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 19.5, Councillor Morrison, supported by, at least, nine other Members rising in their places, requisitioned a record of the voting on Councillor Barrett’s motion, as altered, as set out above. That vote resulted as follows:-

Councillor Barrett’s motion, as altered, was thereupon declared CARRIED.