'Deserves proper scrutiny': West Northants councillors call in Reform's decision to scrap net zero
A decision by the West Northants Cabinet to scrap its net zero targets has been put on hold, after it faces a bid to have the ruling reviewed.
The Reform UK administration revoked its pledge to offset its carbon emissions by 2030 last week, after being called “unaffordable” by Leader Mark Arnull.
The revisions to the authority’s sustainability strategy were debated during a five-hour meeting in July, where clean-air protestors disrupted proceedings and forced Cabinet members and Council staff to temporarily pause the meeting and move into a different room.
The change to the climate targets has now been called-in by opposition councillors, meaning it must be publicly debated again at a meeting of the scrutiny committee.
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr Rosie Humphreys, is leading the call-in.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The Climate Act requires councils to take a leadership role in reducing emissions and collaborating with stakeholders.
“By removing the targets that really makes this collaboration difficult. The administration also asserts it’s unaffordable, but has given no costings.
“It’s a decision that does not seem to have been made with any sensible consideration. It really deserves proper scrutiny.”
According to Cllr Humphreys, seven West Northants councillors from the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems jointly signed a call-in request form.
West Northamptonshire CounciL (WNC) has confirmed that the decision regarding the authority’s sustainability strategy will go to its Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The group will meet on August 19 to consider the call-in.
In accordance with the constitution, the scrutiny committee may request that Cabinet revisit its decision and consider a range of alternative actions. Though the panel will be able to debate the matter in detail, they have no power to overrule the administration’s decision on the net zero targets.
The scrutiny committee, which is chaired by Independent Cllr Ian McCord, consists of six Reform UK councillors, two Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats and two Labour members.
Cllr Humphreys said they would appeal to the group to look into the feasibility of establishing a cross-party group on council sustainability and ‘fully explore’ the notion that the targets are unaffordable.
The committee could force the Cabinet to hear the sustainability strategy report again and recommend they take a different action. However, the power to reverse the net zero scrapping lies solely within the gift of the Reform UK Cabinet.
Reform previously said that ridding the Council of its net zero goals will enable the authority to prioritise sustainability projects that provide ‘tangible’ benefits for residents.
Cllr Mark Arnull also claimed that the previous administration “set undeliverable targets that if attempted, would likely send the council bust”.
He added: “The Reform UK administration are fully committed to creating a more sustainable West Northamptonshire and being responsible custodians of our local environment. We want to further prioritise our focus on delivering practical, high-impact projects that make a real difference to people’s lives.”