Agenda and draft minutes
PDF 479 KBVenue: Gallery Room, The Corn Exchange, Witney. View directions
Contact: Committee Clerk
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Apologies for Absence To consider apologies and reasons for absence.
Committee Members who are unable to attend the meeting should notify the Committee Clerk derek.mackenzie@witney-tc.gov.uk prior to the meeting, stating the reason for absence.
Standing Order 30(d)(v) permits the appointment of substitute Councillors to a Committee whose role is to replace ordinary Councillors at a meeting of a Committee if ordinary Councillors of the Committee have confirmed to the Proper Officer before the meeting that they are unable to attend. Minutes: |
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Election of Chair To elect a Chair of the Working Party for the 2025/26 Municipal Year. Minutes: It was proposed and seconded that Councillor S Simpson be elected. There being no other nominations it was:
Resolved:
That, Councillor Sandra Simpson be elected Chair of the Working Party for the 2025/26 municipal year.
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To agree the Terms of Reference of the Working Party. Minutes: The draft Terms of Reference were received and considered and any amendments considered.
Members recognised the impending 2028 deadline originally set in June 2019 for the Council to be achieve a target of carbon neutrality andnd therefore, welcomed the resurrection of a Working Party, including the phased timeframe in the terms of reference which would assist in focusing on those goals.
The Working Party welcomed the focus that the Working Party would bring with its recommendations to assist the work of the Council’s Climate & Biodiversity Committee.
It was requested that two small amendments be made with the insertion of “gardens” so that the objective in Phase two read – Witney Allotments and Community Orchards & Gardens.
Additionally, it was suggested that the word “neither” be added to strengthen the line advising that the Working Party or its Members were not able to make decisions and only recommendations to the Climate & Biodiversity Committee or Full Council.
Members were unanimous in agreement to both amendments.
Recommended:
That, amendments be made to the Terms of Reference as noted above.
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Climate Change Road map To receive a verbal update from the Compliance & Environment Officer outlining key dates and next steps. Minutes: Baseline Report Members requested a baseline report to measure progress since the Town Council declared a climate emergency in June 2019. The Town Clerk advised that progress updates had been presented to the Full Council as the original plan evolved. However, it was agreed that a summary of historical information would provide the Working Party with a clear starting point.
Key milestones were agreed as follows:
Carbon Building Audit Substantial work would follow to compile a carbon audit of council-owned buildings before the draft plan was presented in October. The audit would be conducted with the support of Energy Solutions Oxfordshire, who previously completed a report for Burwell Hall. As their assessments were currently free for community buildings, the following actions were planned:
Members also suggested including Madley Park Hall and Langdale Hall, however the Town Clerk advised prioritising the Town Hall and Admin Office. The other two properties are leased and could be assessed at a later stage when budgeting allowed.
Council Vehicle Fleet It was agreed that the Works Team vehicle fleet be reviewed in collaboration with the Operations Manager to:
It was also noted that £10,000 of matched funding from Energy Solutions Oxfordshire may be available to support this work.
New Council Facilities Members queried whether the upcoming capital projects at West Witney would be carbon neutral. The Project Officer would be bringing reports detailing carbon reduction measures for these facilities. These reports would be submitted to the Climate & Biodiversity Committee when available.
Phase 2 Actions Future actions would focus on:
Carbon Literacy Training The Compliance and Environmental Officer encouraged Members who also served on West Oxfordshire District Council to advocate for the inclusion of Town Council staff and councillors in the District Council’s carbon literacy training. This could include:
This initiative would align with the shared goal of collaboration among the three tiers of local government.
Town Council Website It was proposed that the Climate Emergency page on the Council's website be updated. The current content dates back to 2019. Recommendations include:
Recommended:
1. That, the report ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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To receive and consider the report of the Compliance & Environment Officer on a proposed Climate Fair event. Minutes: Event Date Members were updated that the Policy, Governance and Finance Committee had approved the subsidised use of the Corn Exchange for the Climate Fair at their meeting on 21st July 2025.
Following discussion, Members agreed that holding the event on a Thursday would encourage participation from both partner organisations and stakeholders as well as the intended public audience
It was agreed that the event be scheduled to take place on Thursday, 9th October 2025.
Partner Organisation Engagement Promotion of the Witney Town Council FLIR camera should be a focus of the event. However, to maximise engagement, members support would be needed ahead of the event, particularly in: · Providing real-life testimonials about using the FLIR camera · Sharing their experiences to encourage public interest
Invitees and Participants An initial list of invitees had been compiled. Additional suggestions for attendees included:
Members were asked to submit any further suggestions for potential invitees to the Compliance and Environmental Officer.
Future Planning It was proposed that, if the event was successful, future Climate Fairs could include talks or workshops from key partner organisations to further educate and engage the community.
Low Carbon Hub Involvement The Compliance and Events Officer noted that Low Carbon Hub currently held a three-year service agreement with West Oxfordshire District Council, indicating a substantial and ongoing investment. They were actively engaged in initiatives in Eynsham and could be invited to:
Recommended:
1. That, the report be noted and, 2. That, the Climate Fair event is scheduled for Thursday 9th October 2025 and, 3. That those on the list presented and those above be invited to take part on the day.
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Next Meeting of the Working Party Minutes: The next meeting would be scheduled to take place between the Climate & Biodiversity Committee meeting on 9th September 2025 and the presentation of the draft Climate Roadmap to Full Council on 6th October 2025, which marks the beginning of the budget-setting process for the Council.
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