On the 12th of November, I attended the Essex County Council Autumn Climate Summit ‘Enabling Net Zero New Homes in Essex’. I was excited that the Summit showed a level of ambition aligned with the gravity of the national net zero task and our international commitments. (You can watch a recording of the Summit here).
I was also impressed by the statements that Essex was taking a leading role, especially with the Essex Climate Action Commission Set Targets for all new homes to be net zero by 2025 and for all new buildings to produce more energy than they use by 2030.
I had not heard of these commitments from our local authority, Maldon District Council (MDC), so I contacted them to confirm they would appear in our next Local Development Plan (LDP). This plan will cover the period until 2050. The UK is committed to total decarbonisation by 2050.
I found MDC’s reply disappointing, dispiriting and inconsistent with the ambition and leadership the Summit suggested was present in Essex. Contrary to the bold direction and climate leadership voiced at the Summit, it said ‘decisions… have not been made yet’ and ‘this matter has not been determined yet’.
At the Summit, Graham Thomas the Head of Planning and Sustainable Development at Essex County Council said ‘we can’t wait for [Central] Government. We’ve got to get on with it, with the local level’. Because, his slide said, ‘Climate Change is too important to wait for Government – Government can catch-up’.
This is dissonant with MDC’s reply to me: ‘the Council are waiting on any Government policy changes because this matter may go into national policy or one of the national development management policies‘
At the Summit, the ECC Climate and Planning Unit stated that they were ‘working with all the Local Planning Authorities in Essex’ and spoke about there being a ‘consistent and co-ordinated policy approach’ and that they have ‘collaboratively established an Essex-wide evidence base that underpins a consistent model policy position for net zero homes to embed in local plans’.
The response from Maldon District Council is not consistent with these statements.
I have emailed Cllr Peter Schwier, the ECC Climate Czar, Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste Reduction & Recycling and host of the Summit for an explanation of why this disparity exists and I’m awaiting a reply.
Dengie Bioregion 