Climate Change Strategy Consultation Process and Responses
Contents
1. Report to Scrutiny Group
2. Appendix 1 – Responses to Scrutiny Panel Comments
3. Appendix 2 - Outcome of Stakeholder Workshops 19th May 2008
www.merton.gov.uk
1.
Committee: Sustainable Communities Scrutiny
Panel
Date: 18th June 2008
Agenda item:
Wards: All
Subject: Climate Change Strategy
Lead officer: Ged Lawrenson, Plans and Projects Manager
Lead member: Councillor Tariq Ahmad, Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Community
Safety and Youth Engagement.
Key decision reference number: FP573
Recommendations:
A.
That the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel consider
and comment on the revised Climate Change Strategy to be reported to
cabinet on 23rd June 2008.
1.
Purpose of report and executive summary
1.1
This report presents the revised Climate Change Strategy for consideration
and comment.
1.2
The purpose of the Climate Change Strategy is not to articulate a definite
position for the Council in this regard, but to act as a starting point to show a
flexible approach can be adopted in response to the changing tale of this
global pressure.
2.
Details
2.1
On 13th February 2008 the former Regeneration and Public Realm Scrutiny
Panel considered and commented on the Climate Change Strategy.
2.2
The Panel’s comments were reported to Cabinet on 10th March 2008.
2.3
On 16th April 2008 the former Cabinet Member for Environment and Traffic
Management responded to the former Panel on comments made at the
meeting of 13th February 2008.
2.4
The Climate Change Strategy is now being revised to take account of
comments made by the former Panel. These comments include in
summary:
The Strategy should be more aspirational, innovative and strategic
and involve community stakeholders;

Targets, timescales, and short and long-term deliverables should be
included;

The costs of implementing the Strategy should be quantified;
www.merton.gov.uk

The use of Plain English;

Poor response to consultation;

More detailed case studies should be provided;

Arrangements should be made for publicity and promotion.
A detailed response to these points can be found in Appendix ‘1’.
2.5
Other issue s raised by the panel were responded to at the Panel on 16 th
April including:
arrangements to report the Waste Collection Review,

waste recycling,

details of Tramlink study

information on the real Nappy Network and jute bags,

encouraging the use of jute shopping bags instead of plastic

the scope for the Council sponsoring the ‘Green Guardian’ pages.
2.6
Two stakeholder workshops were held on 19th May to assist in this revision.
The outcome of the external stakeholder workshop is attached as
Appendix’2’ to this report. A second external stakeholder workshop has
been arranged for 29th May 2008 in order to complete consideration of the
Strategy. The outcome of this second workshop will be reported to the
Panel at its meeting on the 18th June 2008.
2.7
In summary the workshop made a wide range of suggestions, including:-
2.8

fewer and more specific carbon reduction targets

the inclusion of a Mission Statement

the need for wider than Council targets

preventing loss of front gardens to hardstandings

the value of combined heat and power (CHP)
The external stakeholder workshop reviewed four of the Aims of the
Strategy:
Education and Awareness

Planning and Sustainable Development

Biodiversity and Natural Environment

Transport
2.9
A wide range of comments were made and these are summarised at
Appendix ‘2’.
2.10
The Climate Change Strategy is attached at Appendix ‘2’ for consideration
and comment.
2.11
It is proposed to report the Panel’s comments and observations to Cabinet
on 23rd June 2008.
www.merton.gov.uk
3.
Alternative options
3.1
The Panel may choose not to consider the revised Climate Change Strategy,
in which case it would be reported to Cabinet without comment by the
Scrutiny Panel.
4.
Consultation undertaken or proposed
4.1
Consultation was undertaken on the Climate Change Strategy in January
2008 and reported to the former Regeneration and Public Realm Scrutiny
Panel on 13th February 2008. No further consultation is proposed at this
stage, however as the council continues to refine its response to climate
change, it is anticipated that further stakeholder engagement will occur in the
future.
5.
Timetable
5.1
Subject to views of the Panel and the outcome of consideration by Cabinet it
is proposed to publish the Climate Change Strategy by the end of October
2008.
6.
Financial, resource and property implications
6.1
There is provision in the capital programme for £121,000 for Climate Change
initiatives in 2008-09, and for £120,000 in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
7.
Legal and statutory implications
7.1
None for the purposes of this report.
8.
Human rights, equalities and community cohesion implications
8.1
None for the purposes of this report.
9.
Risk management and health and safety implications
9.1
None for the purposes of this report.
10.
Appendices – the following documents are to be published with this
report and form part of the report
10.1
Appendix 1: Responses to Scrutiny Comments
10.2
Appendix 2: Outcome of Stakeholder Workshops 19th May 2008
11.
Background Papers – the following documents have been relied on in
drawing up this report but do not form part of the report
11.1
Report to Regeneration and Public Realm Overview and Scrutiny Panel 13 th
February 2008. Agenda item 4
11.2
Report to Cabinet 10th March 2008. Agenda item 4
11.3
Minutes of Cabinet 10th March 2008.
11.4
Report to Regeneration and Public Realm Overview and Scrutiny Panel 16th
April 2008. Agenda item 6c
www.merton.gov.uk
12.
Contacts

Report author:
 Name: Ged Lawrenson
 Tel: 020 8545 3821
 email: ged.lawrenson@merton.gov.uk

Meeting arrangements - Democratic Services:
 email: democratic.services@merton.gov.uk
 Tel: 020 8545 3356/3357/3359/3361/3616

All press contacts - Merton’s Press office:
 email: press@merton.gov.uk
 Tel: 020 8545 3181

London Borough of Merton:
 Address: Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, SM4 5DX
 Tel: 020 8274 4901
13.
Useful links
13.1
Merton Council’s Web site: http://www.merton.gov.uk
13.2
Readers should note the terms of the legal information (disclaimer)
regarding information on Merton Council’s and third party linked websites.
13.3
http://www.merton.gov.uk/legal.htm
13.4
This disclaimer also applies to any links provided here.
www.merton.gov.uk
2
Appendix 1
Responses to Scrutiny Comments on Draft Climate Change Strategy
Comment
The Panel queried whether the draft Climate Change Strategy is an ambitious plan for
tackling climate change in Merton, or just a summation of what is already happening.
Response
The strategy has been amended to include more aspirational targets and case
studies.
Comment
There needs to be an indication of targets and timescales for the aims set out in the
strategy.
Response
The section detailing national and local targets has been expanded,
Actions have been made more robust and in some cases figures added,
Timescales have been added to the action tables
Comment
The Panel asked to see some analysis of the costs associated with implementing this
draft strategy.
Response
There is insufficient costing data for the vast majority of the included actions. Further
work needs to be done to establish meaningful financial implications and funding
sources.
Comment
The report needs to be written in plain English and include definitions/explanations of
some of the terminology.
Response
Relevant passages have been adjusted or explained.
www.merton.gov.uk
Comment
What is the Nottingham Declaration and when did the Council sign up to it?
Response
A section on the Nottingham Declaration has been added.
Comment
The Panel recommended the development of a website to provide information about
local climate change issues and action.
Response
This recommendation has been incorporated into the strategy.
Comment
The level of response to consultation was disappointing and there should be some
presentation of how the document has developed in light of feedback.
Response
Further consultation has been conducted with workshops being held both internally
and externally. A breakdown of the topics discussed and the amendments made to the
strategy have been attached as an appendix to the main document.
Comment
The panel felt that the case studies needed to be quantified to demonstrate the impact
and benefit of the projects, as well as being clearer and more aspirational.
Response
The case studies have been changed or re-written to take reflect the panels concerns.
www.merton.gov.uk
3
Appendix 2
Outcomes of Stakeholder Workshops Held 19th May 2008
Notes From External Groups Workshop
Held on 19th May 2008
Attending
Cllr Tariq Ahmad
Cllr David Dean
Ged Lawrenson
Merton Borough Council
Andrew Wakefield
Tom Walsh
Sustainable Merton
Auriel Glanville
Friends of the Earth
John White
Sustainable Merton
Jane Buchanan
Resident
Angela Gorman
Groundwork
Ed Cotterill
Merton Borough Council
John Veale
Resident
Philip Box
Merton Cycling Campaign
Apologies:
Helen Clark-Bell
Zoe Colbeck
National Trust
Cllr Tariq Ahmad started the meeting by reiterating the comments of the scrutiny panel
and public responses:
The Strategy document was not good enough and was lacking in practical steps and
time scales. The 8 action areas are good but the actions within them need to be
broken down into immediately possible and longer term.
Cllr Ahmad pledged his political backing for the Merton sustainability centre.
www.merton.gov.uk
The following topics were then discussed and suggestions made:
Funding:
Certain amount of money is available for funding available, but there is a need to find
other sources. Match funding through the Salix agency is being actively investigated.
Interest free loans for residents to pay for environmental measures in their own homes.
Accessing funding has become a competitive business between groups. It would be
better if there were more collaboration.
Awareness:
At a recent residents meeting in Wimbledon Climate Change did not feature in the top
ten of residents concerns. There is a need to make this issue much more important to
people.
Communication through the strategy is very important. The list of small actions can
give the impression that the problem is small and that people do not need to change
their lifestyles.
There is a need for the council to be an educator on this...how is this best achieved?
Communication:
How this is presented to the public is crucial. Ask People for help and explain to them
why they need it. Getting the ideas into the public's consciousness is key.
Communication between stakeholders (council, business, public) needs to be better.
Expertise:
There is a great deal of expertise in the community and it is important to utilise it. The
Council have set up a group of officers; it would be good to set up an expert group
from the community to work with it.
www.merton.gov.uk
Responsibility:
The council does not take enough responsibility for its contribution to climate change.
There is also a denial amongst the public of their own role in the wider picture.
Leadership:
Merton has led the way in the Merton Rule and has influenced national policy. It is
possible to influence people with bold and imaginative leadership
The Climate Change Strategy
The document was discussed briefly as a whole and then the key action areas were
discussed individually.
Overall:
ISSUE
RESPONSE
Strategy is too vague with no SMART
targets
Added timescales for actions. SMART targets
require a level study into each action that has
yet to be effected.
Too many actions in each area, some of
which are irrelevant, others are already
being achieved.
Reduced number of actions.
Not enough information to give awareness
of the size of the problem. What climate
change will mean to Merton residents.
Introduced more background information in
first chapter
Document needs to be better structured.
Amended Action List Tables to make them
clearer, linking problems with associated
actions and defining whether action is one of
adaption or mitigation
The wording needs to contain more “hard
verbs” requirements, rather than
encouragement and promotion.
Where possible this has been done
www.merton.gov.uk
Discussion of Key Action Areas
Four Key Action Areas were discussed. The actions that were deemed worthy of
retention were identified and amendments to them as well as additional actions were
proposed.
Key Action Area – 2. Energy
Actions to be retained:
ACTION
COMMENT
RESPONSE
E7 – Enforce energy saving
measures throughout the council.
None
NA
E8 – Produce a decision-making
timetable for deciding on and
implementing District Heat and
Power network.
High priority. Make
decision, find partners
and set up ESCo
Action wording amended
E9 -Promote the installation of
CHP units in new large
developments
Require instead of
promote.
Action wording amended
E12 -Support and promote the
adoption of national initiatives
such as the low carbon buildings
program.
Require instead of
promote.
Action wording amended
Additional Comments on Energy
None
www.merton.gov.uk
Key Action Area – 3. Planning and Development.
Actions to be retained:
ACTION
COMMENT
RESPONSE
P1 - Apply a policy requiring 20%
renewable energy for all relevant
developments until the LDF is
adopted.
Require all
developments to
generate 20%
Dealt with under Merton
Rule matrix.
P3 - Require large housing and
commercial developments to use
CHP/DHP units.
Define terms large and
size of CHP/DHP units
These definitions are
already found in London
Plan
P4 -Require all developments to
be effectively insulated
Quantify “effectively”
Requiring all homes to be
built to code level 3
incorporates this
P8 -Promote the use of
sustainable materials in all new
developments.
Quantify and define both
amounts and definition
of sustainable materials.
Requiring all homes to be
built to code level 3
incorporates this
P9 -Define a set of biodiversity
criteria that must be considered
for every development.
Define and Enforce to
replace define
Action wording amended
Require instead of
promote
Action wording amended
to ‘Ensure that all
developments over a
certain size to be mixed
use’
P11 - Promote mixed use
developments
Additional Comments on Planning and Developments
Too many office buildings being turned into blocks of flats. This is damaging the local
economy and putting further pressure on transport.
Need to move swiftly towards Zero Carbon buildings. It is recognized that this needs to
be done incrementally.
Protection biodiversity should be a primary concern when planning a new
development.
Need for more local shops to reduce amount of travelling to large shopping centres
and supermarkets.
Need to integrate walking and cycling routes to and from new developments,
connecting with other routs and insisting on this in the planning stage.
Additional Responses
www.merton.gov.uk

All comments addressed by the actions mentioned in the action table.
Key Action Area – 5. Transport
Actions to be retained:
ACTION
COMMENT
RESPONSE
T2 -Improve and promote walking
and cycling facilities across the
borough coupled with a borough
wide mapping exercise of local
walking and cycling routes.
none
Action retained
T3 - Promote car free work place
and residential travel plans in all
new developments.
Make this a priority
Action retained
T5 - Continue to assess the
deterrents for using sustainable
transport such as cycle theft.
Drastically increase the
provision of secure cycle
storage at all major
shopping areas,
business areas and
transport hubs.
Action wording changed
to ‘Increase amount of
secure cycle storage at
major shopping areas and
transport hubs’
T7 - Improve cycle storage
facilities to encourage staff to
cycle to work.
Keep improving
Merged with T8
T8 - Install changing facilities to
encourage staff to cycle or run to
work.
Incorporate into T7
Merged with T7
Additional Comments on Transport
Action T4 - Tramlink not going to happen until 2034 at earliest.
Need to encourage options to car ownership and usage for short journeys. Car clubs
should be promoted.
Free parking for Car Club cars and electric vehicles in Merton?
Charging points for electric vehicles.
Need an overarching travel plan.
Only one walking bus left out of original three and that is hanging on by a thread.
www.merton.gov.uk
Additional Responses

Car Clubs and Charging points incorporated as action.

Use Camden car club project as case study
Key Action Area – 7. Biodiversity
Actions to be retained:
ACTION
COMMENT
RESPONSE
B2 -Attract funding for Biodiversity
Action Plan
B.A.P. Already under
way. Completion date?
In process of contacting
Laura Hutton for update
on BAP
B4 -Use natural environment to
help adapt to changes in climate
change.
Need more examples of
how MBC will help
prevent drought and
floods.
Detail added to actions
B7 -Increase programme of tree
planting.
Look to use trees as
fuel.
Using trees as fuel raises
issues of air quality in an
urban environment
B8 -Nature reserves to be
protected as a resource for raising
awareness of eco-systems
Create more nature
reserves.
Action wording amended
to include ‘Nature
reserves to be increased
and protected’
Additional Comments on Biodiversity and Natural Environment
Need to address the problem of front gardens being paved over for parking. Could this
be made illegal? Porous paving is the least worst option as it protects against water
run off and flooding but doesn't help biodiversity.
Increase in number of trees can provide shading and a carbon sink as well as
biodiversity and possibly fuel for biomass energy generation. It will also generate
employment.
Mono cropping such as is needed for large-scale biomass production is unattractive
and not very useful for biodiversity.
Pyrolysis eliminates the problems of air quality associated with biomass energy
generation.
www.merton.gov.uk
The Wandle Valley Regional Park project is ongoing, but there is currently little funding
available for biodiversity projects, this is being addressed through partnership working.
The importance of the Wandle Valley Regional Park in terms of addressing Climate
Change should be recognized. It has been included by Groundwork in an EU bid for a
pan-European Climate Change Park.
Look at extending the proposed boundaries of the Wandle Valley Regional Park into
the surrounding built environment (current proposal includes green spaces only).
Additional Responses

Wandle Valley Project used as a case study
Further 4 Key Action Areas to be discussed at second workshop on 29 th May.
www.merton.gov.uk
Response to officers group workshop – Pip Howson Principal Transport
Manager
I feel we want to create a document that demonstrates we are not pushing Merton’s
residents and businesses to change their way of life just so that the Council can carry
on polluting? In other words we are prepared to practice what we preach.
Ideas
1)
Have a bold overall mission statement something like:
“Merton Council will practice what it preaches in combating the effects of climate
change”
Area mission statements:
Environment education and awareness raising
“Motivating people to want to improve their future lifestyles”
Energy
“find new ways at a local level to reduce our consumption and produce energy
that is more efficient to prevent a future energy crisis and reduce carbon emissions”
Planning and development
“Make Merton a place with a sustainable future”
Waste
“promote waste reduction”
Transport
“Addressing congestion”
Water
To promote the sustainable management of water across the borough
Biodiversity and natural environment
Procurement, fair-trade and food
“promote sustainable procurement, fair-trade and food”
www.merton.gov.uk
2)
Explaining simply how certain things happen for example:
How CO2 is measured from cars
The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from a cars exhaust pipe is calculated in
grams per kilometre (g/km).
Tests on the new cars are conducted in a laboratory on a “rolling road” and the output
is based on a “combined cycle” in which a variety of driving conditions are replicated.
The CO2 output is then printed on the V5 registration document of all cars registered
after February 2001.
Generally the larger the cars engine, the higher the emissions. This is due to the need
to draw in more oxygen and burn more fuel in order to develop more power.
3)
Recommend that an action for the Climate Change policy is to research and
produce a coherent council policy on alternative fuelled vehicles. This could be a pilot
for developing a Life Cycle Assessment Methodology developed to assess a product's
full environmental costs, from raw material to final disposal.
Current research to compare their whole life cycle impacts of the environmental
impacts of electric vehicles and other alternative fuels. Some of the key findings are
provided below:
• The use of battery electric vehicles results in the least environmental impact. This is
true in some cases for battery electrics using average electricity mix, and is always the
case if renewable energy is used. In the best case, the overall impact is reduced by
80%.
• Hybrid vehicles provide a significant reduction in overall environmental impact,
reducing this by 25% compared to a petrol baseline.
• Switching from conventional fuel to biodiesel or bioethanol reduces the overall
impacts by 11% and 26% respectively (based on a 100% blend).
• Despite improvements to conventional engines, gaseous fuelled vehicles (liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG)) still offer an overall
environmental advantage, and provide up to 15% reduction in emissions
• Vehicle size was found to be as important as fuel type. For example, overall
emissions from vehicles in the largest car category (4x4) are 2.5 times that of vehicles
in the smallest category (Citycar).
Evidence sourced from LB Camdens Climate Change Action Plan – details
http://www.travelfootprint.org/
www.merton.gov.uk
Response to officers group workshop – Paulo Camara Senior Transport Planner
Transport Related Actions
1- Modal shift
a. Encourage modal shift towards sustainable modes (how? carrot and stick
approach)
b. Set realistic targets in terms of modal shift that can be achieved; these
would have to be tied up with funding allocation through the LIP and
other sources
c. Set a regular monitoring framework
d. Support Home Zones concept
2- Public transport
a. Encourage public transport use
b. Improve reliability of buses
c. Improve perception/image of public transport
d. Facilitate interchanges especially between rail and buses
e. Fit rail stations with secure cycle parking
3- Travel Plan
a. Encourage development of travel plans – work-based; school-based;
home based (SMART TRAVEL?)
b. Get council’s travel plan approved
c. Set monitoring mechanisms
4- Fleet, vehicles technology
a. Encourage alternative vehicles such as electrical, hybrids etc
b. Fleet management
c. Support and explore potential of electrical vehicles (SWELTRAC project,
electrical charging points)
d. Car clubs – support the implementation of car club schemes in the
borough (currently awaiting approval for new bays; further funding has
been secured from TfL)
5- Walking
a. Improve walking facilities borough-wide
b. Improve lighting
c. Increase/improve accessibility to public transport hubs
www.merton.gov.uk
d. Improve public realm
e. Improve signage
f. Set targets for increase in walking (but we don’t know how many people
walk!)
6- Cycling
a. Encourage cycling use for local/short journeys
b. Set targets for cycle take up (do we know how many people cycle?)
c. Improve cycle safety including, tackling cycle theft
d. Increase cycle lanes/routes in the borough
e. Setting up a borough-wide cycle rental scheme like the French Velib
f. Ensure rail stations are fitted with secure cycle parking facilities
g. Education programmes targeting drivers to raise awareness of cycling on
roads
h. Continue to provide cycle training to children and adults
7- Parking management
a. Device a parking policy that discourages car commuting, through pricing
mechanisms and limiting stay to 2 hours maximum
8- Travel Awareness
a. Devise public campaigns targeting specific areas of the borough to tackle
transport issues
b.
9- Information
a. Improve travel information
b. Include travel information in HIP packs for new comers to the borough
10- Road Safety
a.
b. Eco-driving
11- Freight
a. Freight movements – through traffic and traffic within the borough
b. Home deliveries – encourage shops to provide home delivery services in
attempt to reduce car journeys
www.merton.gov.uk
Notes for Officers Group Workshop – David Bell, Energy and Sustainability
Manager
Climate Change Strategy – Energy Issues
1)
We don’t actually know how much energy LBM uses.
National Indicator 185 requires us to measure and report on the “total CO2 emissions
created as a result of the Council’s activities”. This is essentially a two part indicator –
energy use in buildings, and transport. We currently can’t measure the amount of
energy we use as we have no system for doing this. To do this will require a specialist
piece of software (£10,000) and in Year 1 a 1 FTE post at approx SO1 grade (£35,000)
and in Year 2 onwards 0.5 FTE. Facilities Management strongly recommend that this
monitoring is carried out, but cannot contain this within our existing budgets.
Asking other departments to provide this data probably won’t work, as they don’t
currently monitor this data, probably don’t know how to, won’t work to a single
standard, and don’t have the resources too either.
Suggestion: Provide sufficient resources to develop and implement a Council wide
energy monitoring system to enable the energy component of NI185 to be properly
monitored.
2)
We don’t have stretching targets to reduce CO2 emissions.
NI185 targets are very difficult to set, as we have no baseline data. However, the
target has had to be set, as is presently set at (I believe) 1% per annum. This is poor.
The CO2 emissions at the Civic Centre have been reduced by over 1% p.a. even in
years when no investment took place. Last year it was reduced by over 7%.
However, it must be accepted that a stretching target will require capital investment –
phase 1 project list attached (plenty more to follow)
Investment of £100,000 is estimated to result in a reduction of energy related CO2
emissions of about 2%. This also results, at current prices, in revenue savings of
about £25,000.
Suggestion: set a long-term capital investment strategy for CO2 reduction and “invest
to save” with stretching targets commensurate to the level of investment.
www.merton.gov.uk
3)
If we want to “lead” we need to do something innovative.
For example:
There are 3 places in the Borough where a large wind turbine could be erected. An
850KW turbine would be a tower 45m high (about the same height as Crown House),
and would produce approximately 1,500,000 KWh of electricity each year – about half
the consumption of the Civic Centre. This would save about 650 tonnes of CO2 (about
10% of the borough energy-related total).
This project could be completed without any capital commitment from LBM. A funding
partner has already completed a feasibility study on one site, and is seeking our
approval to continue. The first “urban turbine”.
Suggestion: agree to progress an innovative project such as this and take the project
forward without further delay.
4)
Start with the kids.
Schools in LBM use a significant proportion of our energy, yet we have almost no
engagement with them on this subject. Facilities Management would very much like to
actively engage with schools, where a real difference can be made to current energy
use, and the education of future generations; but we cannot contain this within our
existing resources.
A 1 FTE Schools Energy Officer at approx SO2 grade (£40,000) would make a
substantial difference to the energy used at schools and the education of the kids
involved. The revenue savings on energy alone are estimated to be greater than the
cost of the post.
Suggestion: make resources available to employ a dedicated Schools Energy Officer
to work within Facilities Management with borough schools to reduce their direct
energy consumption and assist with curriculum activities.
www.merton.gov.uk