Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) Summary of Decision Area

1.1. This report proposes a strategic approach to Hampshire County Council's community engagement on climate change issues. The County Council is increasingly being invited to support local initiatives, and a strategy is required to ensure that resources are utilised in such a way as to add the most value in terms of corporate priorities, Hampshire Local Area Agreement (LAA) delivery and partnership working.

2) Issues Covered in Report

2.1. Hampshire County Council's strategy for reducing Hampshire's climate change impact.

2.2. Overview of the approach to be taken to local community engagement.

2.3. The Greening Campaign as an example of addressing strategic issues across Hampshire.

3) Recommendations

It is recommended that:

3.1. Cabinet agree the recommended strategy for supporting local community action on climate change and formally engages with the Greening Campaign over the remaining two years of the Local Area Agreement.

MAIN REPORT

1) Contextual Information

1.1. Climate change features strongly in the Hampshire Sustainable Communities Strategy. This has led to the LAA between the Hampshire Strategic Partnership and the Government, setting out the joint priorities for the next three years. The Partnership identified climate change as a key priority and has committed to reducing carbon dioxide and improving resilience to the impacts of climate change. Performance in these two areas will be measured by two National Indicators (NI 186 and NI 188 respectively).

1.2. A key feature of this joint approach in Hampshire is the relationship between the County Council and the District Councils and other partners. The Partnership is committed to improving the two-tier relationship and the Hampshire Senate is developing its management of the LAA as one way of achieving this. A fundamental part of this approach is that the different strengths of the partners are recognised and appreciated.

1.3. There is no standard approach that can or should be applied to each of the 11 districts in Hampshire in respect of climate change. Indeed, there is much to learn from the diversity of experience that exists. The County Council has a role in facilitating innovation but it is for local councils to judge its applicability and effectiveness and to develop it if appropriate.

1.4. It may be the exploitation of opportunities at a strategic scale that will bring the most significant achievements in the future and therefore any resources that may be available should be invested in these. To help with these decisions, the Partnership is working on the development of a `Hampshire Community' Climate Change Vision and Strategy for endorsement by the Senate later this year.

2) Key Issues

2.1. Approximately a third of carbon levels in the community arise from the domestic sector. Engagement of local communities therefore forms an important part of the delivery of the LAA for climate change. In order to develop a local approach, it is suggested that any work undertaken as a result of County Council funding should be in communities that meet strategic criteria directly linked to the delivery of the LAA.

2.2. For example, communities engaged could be those that are known to have high levels of fuel poverty and/or be known to be areas of high multiple deprivation.

2.3. Any initiatives supported by the County Council should be able to provide suitable and robust evidence that these requirements are being met. They will need to show how they have helped the delivery of the LAA, particularly NI 186 and NI 188, and more widely through other relevant indicators, eg NI 187, Tackling Fuel Poverty.

2.4. Any strategic approach taken by the County Council should not preclude local County Members or other locally based groups, eg Hampshire Action Teams from supporting groups within an area that do not have a wider strategic approach but do have a specific focus in the local community, eg Winchester Action on Climate Change.

3) The Greening Campaign

3.1. The Greening Campaign is an engagement scheme designed to encourage local communities to tackle climate change. The scheme aims to motivate individuals to take action to reduce personal energy consumption and their carbon footprint, engage with climate change mitigation and lead to engagement on ways to adapt in the longer term. It aims to deliver local responses at individual levels.

3.2. The Greening Campaign provides an opportunity to trial innovative ways of working with "hard to reach" groups, and provides opportunities to link in with District Council supported activities. Such work also provides cross-cutting support of other LAA priorities and the County Council's corporate aims. The Greening Campaign also works with other local climate change action groups in order to share and replicate good practice across communities.

3.3. The Greening Campaign operates via a series of phases:

· Phase 1 Engaging the community/project promotion

· Phase 2 Developing sustainable projects for the communities

· Phase 3 Building capacity for adaptation to Climate Change

· Phase 4 Monitoring of Evaluation - to develop a cyclical approach to developing local initiatives.

3.4 The Hampshire campaigns are already active and supported by local councils in East Hampshire, Winchester and Eastleigh. Across the region, West Sussex County Council has commited to funding a pilot of 35 parishes across 7 districts and interest has been shown from authorities in Kent, Berkshire and Surrey.

3.5 Formal engagement with the Greening Campaign over year 2 of the LAA period will result in a financial contribution of £10,000. This funding will enable a strategic engagement programme for Hampshire communities to be developed. The Greening Campaign will look to attract further funding for a wider delivery programme from district councils and local businesses.

3.6 Subject to the achievement of tangible results in 2009/10, the County Council will continue to work with the Greening Campaign in 2010/11, the third and final year of the current LAA.

4) Outline of Options

4.1. Option 1:

Agree the recommended strategic approach to Hampshire County Council's community engagement on climate change issues.

4.2. Option 2:

Do not agree the recommended strategic approach and continue to engage with community initiatives on an ad-hoc basis.

5) Option Analysis / Comparison

5.1. A strategic approach to local community engagement on climate change will ensure that the County Council makes the most effective use of limited resources to engage effectively with specific communities, meet LAA performance targets and encourage positive partnership working.

5.2. If a strategic approach is not agreed, then the County Council will lack a clear direction on how engagement with Hampshire's communities on climate change takes place. As a result, the County Council's work may fail to support the aspirations of the LAA and opportunities to work towards significant achievements may be lost. Equally, ad-hoc contributions to different groups could result in a larger overall financial contribution being made without the same likelihood of success.

6) Conclusions

6.1. Community engagement forms an essential part of the County Council's overall strategy for reducing Hampshire's climate change impact. Working at a strategic level with District Councils and other partners in the LAA is likely to bring significant opportunities to improve performance and meet targets.

6.2. The County Council is increasingly being asked to support local community climate change initiatives. An approach needs to be agreed on how the County Council should engage with these initiatives currently active in Hampshire and any future initiatives.

6.3. A focus on those local community actions which engage at a strategic level, which help to deliver the LAA, and which contribute to corporate priorities, would enable the County Council to make the best use of its resources. A formal engagement with the Greening Campaign is recommended.

7) Recommendations

Please see Executive Summary for recommendations.

1952Rpt/634/PA

CORPORATE OR LEGAL INFORMATION:

COMPREHENSIVE RISK & IMPACT ASSESSMENT:

1) Equalities Impact Assessment:

a) This strategy will help the County Council to engage with a range of communities across a range of geographical areas, particularly those which are hard to reach or commonly overlooked. On balance, it will help to break down barriers and increase inclusion.

2) Impact on Crime and Disorder:

a) Not applicable

3) Climate Change:

a) How does what is being proposed impact on our carbon footprint / energy consumption?

_ This strategic approach to engagement will encourage those local climate change initiatives which help to reduce Hampshire's CO2 emissions and energy usage. Supported initiatives will need to demonstrate how they contribute to the LAA NI 186 targets. This approach will help the County Council work towards reducing the carbon footprint of the county as a whole.

b) How does what is being proposed consider the need to adapt to climate change, and be resilient to its longer term impacts?

_ This approach will enable the County Council to support local initiatives which help to reduce vulnerability to climate risks or exploit opportunities for Hampshire's communities under a changing climate. Supported initiatives will need to demonstrate how they contribute to the LAA NI 188 targets. It will help the County Council develop sustainable communities which are resilient to the impacts of climate change.