Agenda item

To receive a verbal update from the Compliance & Environment Officer outlining key dates and next steps.

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:

• Draft Roadmap plan to be ready in time for the commencement of the budget setting period on 6th October 2025
• Final Road Map Plan to be presented to the meeting of the Council on 16th February 2026

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:

• Revise the existing Burwell Hall report (free)
• Conduct a new audit for the Corn Exchange (free)
• Complete audits for the Town Hall and Admin Office (paid for), ensuring all council-owned buildings are assessed.

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:

• Evaluate the current vehicle renewal programme
• Discuss potential upgrades and replacements
• Incorporate necessary changes into future budget planning

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:

• Review and updating Council polices including the events and hire policy to include stronger sustainability measures
• Encouraging recycling by event hirers
• Collaborating with Café 1863 to increase the use of recyclable products

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:

• Access to training materials
• Participation in existing training sessions

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:

• Streamlining the page into a single, concise resource
• Including links to external organisations offering climate change information and support
• Ensuring content remained up to date and easy to navigate

Recommended:

1. That, the report be noted and,

2. That, a draft roadmap for the climate action plan should be ready in time for the commencement of the budget setting period on 6th October 2025 and,

• 3. That, the final roadmap for the climate action plan should be presented to the meeting of the Council on 16th February 2026 and,
• 4. That,  carbon building audits should be conducted for Burwell Hall, Corn Exchange, Town Hall and the Council’s Reception/Administrative Office, the latter two being funded from existing budgets or EMR’s and,
• 5. That the Work Team vehicle fleet be reviewed in collaboration with the Operations Manager and,
• 6. That, WODC Councillors approach officers concerning the possibility of extended carbon literacy training and,
• That, Members research climate change websites and feedback suggestions at the next meeting.