Agenda item

This Council notes that it declared a Climate Change Emergency this year with a commitment to make the City of Leeds carbon neutral by 2030.

 

This Council also notes the recent report from the Committee on Climate Change which calls for doubling the current number of trees planted annually in the UK in order to achieve the Government’s target to be carbon neutral by 2050.

 

The desire for carbon offsetting will also see further demand for tree planting and maintenance.

 

This Council therefore regrets the current under-resourced state of the Council’s tree management section, which is unable to respond to current demand, let alone deliver a future Leeds Treecover Revolution.

 

Council therefore calls upon the Executive Member(s) responsible for Climate Change and the Environment to commission a report to be published by December this year to identify the land, resources and training needed to respond to deliver our City’s target for achieving sufficient Treecover to deliver a carbon neutral city by 2030.

 

It was moved by Councillor Golton, seconded by Councillor J Bentley that this Council notes that it declared a Climate Change Emergency this year with a commitment to make the City of Leeds carbon neutral by 2030.

 

This Council also notes the recent report from the Committee on Climate Change which calls for doubling the current number of trees planted annually in the UK in order to achieve the Government’s target to be carbon neutral by 2050.

 

The desire for carbon offsetting will also see further demand for tree planting and maintenance.

 

This Council therefore regrets the current under-resourced state of the Council’s tree management section, which is unable to respond to current demand, let alone deliver a future Leeds Treecover Revolution.

 

Council therefore calls upon the Executive Member(s) responsible for Climate Change and the Environment to commission a report to be published by December this year to identify the land, resources and training needed to respond to deliver our City’s target for achieving sufficient Treecover to deliver a carbon neutral city by 2030.”

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Robinson, seconded by Councillor Buckley;

 

In Paragraph 5 of the motion insert the following wording:

 

‘to establish a “20 for 1” initiative, where the Council plants 20 trees for every 1 tree that is lost and’

 

Motion will read:

 

“This Council notes that it declared a Climate Change Emergency this year with a commitment to make the City of Leeds carbon neutral by 2030.

 

This Council also notes the recent report from the Committee on Climate Change which calls for doubling the current number of trees planted annually in the UK in order to achieve the Government’s target to be carbon neutral by 2050.

 

The desire for carbon offsetting will also see further demand for tree planting and maintenance.

 

This Council therefore regrets the current under-resourced state of the Council’s tree management section, which is unable to respond to current demand, let alone deliver a future Leeds Treecover Revolution.

 

Council therefore calls upon the Executive Member(s) responsible for Climate Change and the Environment to establish a “20 for 1” initiative, where the Council plants 20 trees for every 1 tree that is lost and to commission a report to be published by December this year to identify the land, resources and training needed to respond to deliver our City’s target for achieving sufficient Treecover to deliver a carbon neutral city by 2030.”

 

 A second amendment was moved by Councillor Mulherin, seconded by Councillor Rafique

 

Remove all after “tree planting and maintenance” and replace with:

 

“This Council notes it has planted over 80,000 trees in the last 5 years with plans to plant millions more by 2030. Council is working with the University of Leeds to survey and better understand canopy coverage in the city and identify how best to expand it to meet our targets. Council is also in conversations with the Woodland Trust around securing funding for schools to carry out tree planting, so a new tree is planted for every young person in Leeds.

 

Council also notes that new woodland areas will double tree canopy coverage in the River Aire catchment as part of the innovative Natural Flood Management approach taken by this Council with the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme.

 

Council will continue to use its local leadership role to work with landowners, community groups and businesses through the White Rose Forest partnership to increase tree cover in the Leeds City Region by a third, as part of work towards the creation of the new Northern Forest stretching from Hull to Merseyside. 

 

However, Council notes that most land in the Leeds metropolitan district is in private ownership and believes national Government should find ways to encourage farmers and other land owners to make further land available for tree and woodland planting to increase the tree canopy. 

 

Council deeply regrets that Conservative and Liberal Democrat imposed austerity has so far cut the council’s budget by £266m a year, with the direct impact that many valued council services have been stretched to breaking point including tree management, with no end to the cuts in sight. 

 

Council therefore calls on the Government to reverse cuts to council funding, adopt the council’s ambitious target of carbon neutrality by 2030 as opposed to 2050, and provide significant funding to enable further tree planting to help meet the carbon neutrality target.”

 

Full motion will then read:

 

“This Council notes that it declared a Climate Change Emergency this year with a commitment to make the City of Leeds carbon neutral by 2030.

 

This Council also notes the recent report from the Committee on Climate Change which calls for doubling the current number of trees planted annually in the UK in order to achieve the Government’s target to be carbon neutral by 2050.

 

The desire for carbon offsetting will also see further demand for tree planting and maintenance.

 

This Council notes it has planted over 80,000 trees in the last 5 years with plans to plant millions more by 2030. Council is working with the University of Leeds to survey and better understand canopy coverage in the city and identify how best to expand it to meet our targets. Council is also in conversations with the Woodland Trust around securing funding for schools to carry out tree planting, so a new tree is planted for every young person in Leeds.

 

Council also notes that new woodland areas will double tree canopy coverage in the River Aire catchment as part of the innovative Natural Flood Management approach taken by this Council with the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme.

 

Council will continue to use its local leadership role to work with landowners, community groups and businesses through the White Rose Forest partnership to increase tree cover in the Leeds City Region by a third, as part of work towards the creation of the new Northern Forest stretching from Hull to Merseyside. 

 

However, Council notes that most land in the Leeds metropolitan district is in private ownership and believes national Government should find ways to encourage farmers and other land owners to make further land available for tree and woodland planting to increase the tree canopy. 

 

Council deeply regrets that Conservative and Liberal Democrat imposed austerity has so far cut the council’s budget by £266m a year, with the direct impact that many valued council services have been stretched to breaking point including tree management, with no end to the cuts in sight. 

 

Council therefore calls on the Government to reverse cuts to council funding, adopt the council’s ambitious target of carbon neutrality by 2030 as opposed to 2050, and provide significant funding to enable further tree planting to help meet the carbon neutrality target.”

 

The amendment in the name of Councillor Robinson was declared lost, the second amendment in the name of Councillor Mulherin was carried and upon being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED – That this Council notes that it declared a Climate Change Emergency this year with a commitment to make the City of Leeds carbon neutral by 2030.

 

This Council also notes the recent report from the Committee on Climate Change which calls for doubling the current number of trees planted annually in the UK in order to achieve the Government’s target to be carbon neutral by 2050.

 

The desire for carbon offsetting will also see further demand for tree planting and maintenance.

 

This Council notes it has planted over 80,000 trees in the last 5 years with plans to plant millions more by 2030. Council is working with the University of Leeds to survey and better understand canopy coverage in the city and identify how best to expand it to meet our targets. Council is also in conversations with the Woodland Trust around securing funding for schools to carry out tree planting, so a new tree is planted for every young person in Leeds.

 

Council also notes that new woodland areas will double tree canopy coverage in the River Aire catchment as part of the innovative Natural Flood Management approach taken by this Council with the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme.

 

Council will continue to use its local leadership role to work with landowners, community groups and businesses through the White Rose Forest partnership to increase tree cover in the Leeds City Region by a third, as part of work towards the creation of the new Northern Forest stretching from Hull to Merseyside. 

 

However, Council notes that most land in the Leeds metropolitan district is in private ownership and believes national Government should find ways to encourage farmers and other land owners to make further land available for tree and woodland planting to increase the tree canopy. 

 

Council deeply regrets that Conservative and Liberal Democrat imposed austerity has so far cut the council’s budget by £266m a year, with the direct impact that many valued council services have been stretched to breaking point including tree management, with no end to the cuts in sight. 

 

Council therefore calls on the Government to reverse cuts to council funding, adopt the council’s ambitious target of carbon neutrality by 2030 as opposed to 2050, and provide significant funding to enable further tree planting to help meet the carbon neutrality target.”

 

On the requisition of Councillors Lamb and Robinson the voting on the amendment in the name of Councillor Robinson was recorded as follows;

 

YES - 33

 

B Anderson, C Anderson, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Buckley, Campbell, Amanda Carter, Chapman, Cohen, Collins, Downes, Elliott, Finnigan, Firth, Flynn, Forsaith, Golton, Hall, Harrington, M Harrison, Hutchison,  Kidger, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, Lay, Robinson, Seary, Shemilt, Smith, Stephenson, Taylor and Wadsworth.

NO – 54

 

Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bithell, Blake, Brooks, Carlill, Charlwood, Coupar, Cunningham, Dawson, Dowson,  Drinkwater, Dye, Gabriel, Garner, Garthwaite, Goddard, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, P Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Knight, Lennox, J Lewis, Maqsood, Marshall Katung, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin,  Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Shahzad, Sharpe, Smart, Truswell, Venner, Walshaw, Wenham and Wray.

 

ABSTAIN - 0

 

On the requisition of Councillors Dowson and Lewis the voting on the substantive motion in the name of Councillor Mulherin was recorded as follows;

 

YES - 54

 

Akhtar, Almas, Arif, Bithell, Blake, Brooks, Carlill, Charlwood, Coupar, Cunningham, Dawson, Dowson,  Drinkwater, Dye, Gabriel, Garner, Garthwaite, Goddard, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, C Gruen, P Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Knight, Lennox, J Lewis, Maqsood, Marshall Katung, McKenna, Midgley, Mulherin,  Nash, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Scopes, Shahzad, Sharpe, Smart, Truswell, Venner, Walshaw, Wenham and Wray.

 

NO – 27

 

B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Campbell, Amanda Carter, Chapman, Cohen, Collins, Downes, Firth, Flynn, Golton, Hall, Harrand, Harrington, M Harrison, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, Lay, Robinson, Seary, Shemilt, Smith, Stephenson, Taylor and Wadsworth.

 

ABSTAIN - 7

 

A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Elliott, Finnigan, Forsaith, Hutchison and Kidger.