Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor J Tudor, Councillor P Carlill and Councillor E Carlisle. Councillor P Stables attended as substitute for Councillor E Carlisle.

To disclose or draw attention to any interests in accordance with Leeds City Council’s ‘Councillor Code of Conduct’.

No declarations of interest were made.

To receive the notes of the previous meeting of the Consultative Meeting of the Climate Emergency Advisory Committee held 18^th September 2023.

RECOMMENDED – To agree the notes of the previous consultative meeting held 18^th September 2023 as a correct record.

At the discretion of the Chair, a period of up to 15 minutes may be allocated at each ordinary meeting for members of the public to make representations or to ask questions on matters within the terms of reference of the Committee. No member of the public shall speak for more than five minutes in the Open Forum, except by permission of the Chair.

Please note: Members of the public are asked to submit a video of their question or statement to climate.emergency@leeds.gov.uk by 4 p.m. on Wednesday 11^th October 2023

Rooftop Gardens

Denise Marsden provided a written statement which was read out to the Committee requesting that Leeds City Council (LCC) considers supporting the establishment of rooftop gardens across the city to help pollinators and to create aerial pathways.

Hydro-Electricity

Phil Gees requested information of LCC policy regarding the conversion of weirs for the generation of hydro-electricity.

The Committee noted the contents of the presentations and agreed that responses would be provided to the Open Forum speakers in due course.

Open Forum Updates

Zero Carbon Energy Markets – The Chair noted that the response to Mr J Illingworth had been circulated to CEAC Members

3G Pitches –This item was first brought to CEAC Main Committee in January 2023, with concerns raised concerning 3G pitches. The committee wrote to Sports England about this matter, raising the concerns and points identified regarding the impact on biodiversity within the city.

The committee received a copy of the latest correspondence sent by the Chair ahead of the meeting. This response is the latest update on the matter, in relation to further research undertaken by officers.

The Chair sought and received Members support for two proposals:

• That the Chair write to DEFRA in response to the work being done looking at the use of plastic pitches in relation to microplastic emissions to urge that the current national environmental policy is not downgraded relative to the policy of the EU.

• That this issue be considered by CEAC once the work by DEFRA was completed

To receive a verbal update from the Director of Public Health.

The Chief Officer Consultant in Public Health (Healthy Living), Anna Frearson, spoke to the Committee on the behalf of the Director of Public Health, Victoria Eaton, and provided the Committee with a verbal update which provided an overview of work to integrate the climate agenda into the Directorate’s work.

Mitigating risks of poor air quality

·  Establishment of an air quality and health group,

·  Training for wider healthcare force

·  Promoting protective behaviour

·  Developing resources for populations most at risk such as those with respiratory disease

Promoting energy efficient homes

·  Fixing draughts

·  Energy efficient lighting

·  Delivery of the Home plus scheme for vulnerable/low income households and 1181 households had been assisted under the scheme

Energy performance certificates (EPC) and life outcomes

·  Data linking project (with West Yorkshire Combined Authority).

·  Leeds City Council is now a part of the Marmot city programme, an international agenda to eradicate health inequality

·  Mapping EPC poor ratings with outcomes which can better target funding to address issues

Food

·  Promoting sustainable and healthy food

·  Using planning levers around food

·  Focus on creating sustainable food system in Leeds through the local plan update

·  Evaluation toolkit

Active travel

·  Vision zero strategy

·  Active travel social prescribing pilot 2022-25 in Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond hill – communication, urban trails, first steps to walking, learn to ride, bike libraries.

Adapting to extreme weather

·  Supporting vulnerable people

·  Mitigating the health costs of the cost of living

·  Public health weather impact action plan

Responding to changing disease risks

·  Health protection team working with UKHSA

·  Regular infectious disease review and response multi agency meetings.

·  Working with whole health system

The Committee discussed the following with the Chief Officer of Public Health;

·  The collection of staff Electric Vehicle (EV) use data will be carried out at the corporate level

·  The evaluation of the Active Travel pilot will be brought to the Committee. The Active Travel pilot notes that the lack of public toilet access can prohibit some people from active travel.

·  Energy efficient homes is not within the operational scope of Public Health, and the Chief Officer of Clean Energy and Green Spaces confirmed city-wide plans for a privately funded one stop shop providing access to information and finance for green retrofitting.

RECOMMENDED –

a)  That the contents of the presentation and discussion be noted

b)  That arising from the discussions, the following matters be actioned through the appropriate CEAC Working Groups:

  i.  Further information on the evaluation of the social prescribing pilot on Harehills, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill be provided to Members when available.

  ii.  The Audit tool/evaluation toolkit be presented to a future WG meeting.

  iii.  Further detailed information on the uptake and use of Electric Vehicles by Public Health staff be provided to Members when available.

To receive a verbal update on the progress of the Committees’ working groups to date.

There had been no meetings of the working groups since the previous meeting, however the Chair reported the following;

Infrastructure, Planning and Building WG – scheduled for 8^th November at 2.00pm.

Communities, Business Engagement WG – to be confirmed but likely to be held 6^th November 2023.

Members were encouraged to attend all WGs and requested that invitations be circulated to all Members of the Committee.

To consider the report of the Chief Officer Culture and Economy introducing the new Leeds Inclusive Growth Strategy 2023 – 2030. The Inclusive Growth Strategy has been updated to reflect the changed economic, political, social and environmental context whilst maintaining a focus on economic growth that benefits everyone and was approved by Executive Board on 20^th September 2023.

The Chief Officer Culture and Economy submitted a report to the Committee outlining the recently launched Inclusive Growth Strategy 2023-2030.

In attendance;

Eve Roodhouse – LCC Chief Officer Culture and Economy

Fiona Bolam – LCC Head of Economic Policy

Vince McCabe, programme lead of clean growth and innovation, West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA)

Mark Casci, West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce (WNYCC)

Mark Goldstone – Confederation of British Industry (CBI)

Mattie Yeta CGI (Consultants to Government and Industry Incorporated)

Olivia Smith CGI

The Inclusive Growth Strategy was previously considered to the Committee in November 2022 during the development of the strategy.

The impact of the 2008 recession was noted as having had a large impact on health inequality in the city, and the aim for the Inclusive Growth Strategy is that economic growth in Leeds will benefit everyone.

The Chief Officer Culture and Economy outlined the framework of the Inclusive Growth Strategy, which has nine ‘Big Ideas’ set within three themes; people, place and productivity.

People – A focus on upskilling and reskilling in order to increase the green skilled workforce needed to deliver net zero. This will include supporting career advice services across Leeds. There is an expectation that net zero will deliver new and better quality jobs to the West Yorkshire region.

Place – Key work has included investing in places and transport, the Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS), PIPES District heating scheme, net zero homes, woodland creation, Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure and support and green spaces.

Productivity – Leeds Anchor Network, a network between the largest Leeds employers has been developed. Support for businesses and organisations is a key part of the Strategy, particularly for them to futureproof. Green finance was highlighted as a particular strength of Leeds.

Additionally the Strategy seeks to build sustainability into the tourism, major events, venues, museums, art spaces, cultural and creative sectors.

Following the Chief Officer Culture and Economy’s presentation, the following external speakers were invited to speak;

Mattie Yeta provided the Committee with an overview of the Sustainability Exploration Environmental Data Sciences (SEEDS) programme at CGI. The work utilises data science with social and environmental concerns. A brief oversight of the diverse work programme CGI has undertaken was provided to the Committee, including work on Smart agriculture, green finance, water management, pollution, circular economy, violence against women and girls and other social value works. Work of particular note included the use of infrared and “Digital Twin” to provide vegetation insights. The use of AI and machine learning will continue to predict trends up to 2030, and along with green software and blockchain technologies provide growth areas for the Leeds city region. Additionally CGI is a partner within the Smart Meters programme.

The Chief Officer Culture and Economy noted that the digital sector is one of the fastest growing within the Leeds city region, with notable work including the use of banking cards to offset carbon emissions.

Mark Goldstone for CBI provided the Committee with an overview of the support businesses  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

To note the date and time of the next meeting as Monday 27^th November 2023 at 2.00pm.

RESOLVED – To note the date and time of the next meeting as 27^th November 2023 at 2pm.