Council cancels climate emergency declaration

A local authority has voted to scrap a borough's climate emergency declaration, despite opposition from rival councillors and environmental campaigners.

South Tyneside's Reform UK councillors backed a motion at Thursday's full council meeting to rescind the 2019 pledge, arguing the authority could continue improving the local environment without maintaining the declaration.

The motion, brought by cabinet member for housing Steve Smith, said: "Core services, economic growth and the cost of living should take priority over climate targets that are not statutory requirements."

The motion was passed by 35 votes to 11.

Opposition councillors warned the move would weaken the Reform-led council's response to climate change and whether it would deliver any financial benefit, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The original motion, launched by the Green Party, set out deadlines for the council to become carbon neutral, aligning strategic decisions, policies and strategies to this goal, as well as advocating for carbon reduction across the borough.

Smith's motion asked the council to "rescind" the pledge and request council officers to "review any policies, targets and spending commitments" introduced as a result of the declaration.

It also asked the council to "reaffirm its commitment to clean streets, parks, recycling, flood protection and other local environmental services that matter to residents" and to ensure future environmental initiatives are only pursued where they are "affordable, evidence-based and delivering clear benefits" for residents.

But councillor Rachael Taylor, Green group leader, said the motion "created a false choice between climate action and delivering good local services".

She said the council already "considers affordability, value for money and evidence before spending public money" and there was no evidence rescinding the declaration would save money or improve services.

Meanwhile councillor Kate Owens-Palmer, of the South Tyneside Alliance Group, said she was "perplexed" that the motion stated Reform wanted to rescind the climate emergency declaration, while at the same time, pledging to "do all the things that are going to protect nature and look after the climate".

The council meeting followed a demonstration from environmental campaigners outside South Shields Town Hall raising concerns about the motion.

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