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Last month, North Somerset Council members set the budget for the year ahead, which includes a series of initiatives to minimise carbon emissions and protect and enhance the environment.
Cllr Bridget Petty, executive member for the climate emergency, said: “We are serious about tackling the climate emergency. This budget will progress a number of projects to accelerate our commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030 and make North Somerset an open, fairer and greener place to live.”
The investment to tackle the climate emergency includes plans to:
- buy land to develop nature parks for wildlife and biodiversity to thrive
- fund more work on Weston super pond at Weston Villages to reduce flood risk and give homes better protection
- fund active travel initiatives to encourage more cycling and walking, such as Pier to Pier way linking Weston and Clevedon
- protect coastal communities from rising sea levels through the maintenance of sea defences in Clevedon and Weston
- create a sales re-use recycle area at Backwell recycling centre.
Cllr Petty added: “As well as measures to help local people make their homes more energy-efficient and encourage more cycling and walking in our towns and villages, this budget will also fund work to minimise the council’s own environmental impact and move towards carbon neutrality.
“We will be installing solar panels, seeking more sustainable energy suppliers and improving insultation in our buildings, including schools and leisure centres, which will also reduce running costs. And as council vehicles need replacing, such as our recycling and waste collection vehicles, we will ensure that the new vehicles are as low-emission as they can be.”
Residents will continue to get good services from the council with key services like social care, recycling and waste and roads and pavement maintenance protected. The budget also protects local people from the impact of cuts, and increases in fees and charges are being kept to a minimum.
North Somerset Council’s 2022-23 budget was agreed at the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 15 February. The meeting can be watched back on the council’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuPR-ViS05I and full agenda and meeting papers are available online at https://n-somerset.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=784&x=1.