Agenda item

To receive and consider motions in accordance with Standing Order 13. The full texts of motions are enclosed:

1.       Climate Emergency – Proposed by Cllr Bolger

2.       Amendment to the Town Council’s constitution and Documentation to change “Chairman” to “Chair” – Proposed by Cllr R Smith

Climate Emergency - Proposed by Cllr R Bolger and seconded by Cllr R Smith

 Cllr Bolger presented her motion to council as follows:-   This Council notes that:

a) our economic system is enriching a minority while leading humanity towards climate catastrophe. Our political system is leaving many to feel powerless and excluded from the key decisions that affect them;

b) in 2018, the world’s leading climate scientists—the IPCC—warned that humanity has only 12 years left in which to cap temperature rises at 1.5 C or face a sharply higher risk of drought, floods and heatwaves;

c) the UK Parliament has approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency, and all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of climate breakdown;

d) Local Governments should recognise that they cannot wait for national government to provide more money and support to reduce emissions, and commit to the ambition of carbon neutrality by 2028 at the latest;

e) our emissions are a small proportion of our area’s CO2 emissions and that we achieve more for our environment working co-operatively than we do alone.

f) every year, our area spends significant amounts on energy. This money goes out of the local economy to the big energy companies when we believe that it could be retained through community energy—and that community energy is a fundamentally important part of the national energy transition we are undergoing right now.

 Members were asked to agree the following recommendations which were duly considered

RESOLVED:

At a vote all members were in favour so the motion passed with the addition that all Councillors be invited to the first meeting along with young people from the town.

1.       Witney Town Council joins other Councils in declaring a Climate Emergency, and commits to the vision of carbon neutrality by 2028 at the latest, and;

2.       calls on Westminster to provide the necessary powers and resources to make local action on climate change easier, and;

3.       explores the expansion of community energy to keep the benefits of our local energy generation in our local economy, and;

4.       works with partners anchored in the area to deliver carbon reductions and grow the local economy, and;

5.       holds a public meeting made up of a representative range of our community members to establish the facts and make recommendations for our council, and;

6.       establish a council working party to respond to the recommendations of the public meeting and establish a strategy to act on the vision of carbon neutrality by 2028 at the latest.

Amendment to the Town Council’s Constitution –              Proposed by Cllr R Smith and seconded by Cllr V Gwatkin

Cllr Smith presented her motion to Council as follows:-

In order to reflect and embrace equality and diversity within Witney Town Council’s structure it is proposed that in all cases where statute and legislation refers to ‘Chairman’, at Witney Town Council the term ‘Chair’ is used.  Consequently, the Town Clerk is instructed to amend the Council’s constitution and all documentation accordingly.

Members voted on the motion and all members were in favour.

RESOLVED:   that the motion be passed.