Members of the public may ask
questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice and
provided the text to Barry Khan, Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic
Services – email: barry.khan@northyorks.gov.uk
or in writing to Barry Khan, Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic
Services, County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AD by midday on Friday, 8 November
2024. Each speaker should limit
themselves to 3 minutes on any item.
If
you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be
recorded, please inform the Chairman who will instruct anyone who may be taking
a recording to cease while you speak.
Minutes:
There was one public
question, as follows:
1.
The
following public question was read out by Georgina Ashton, Clerk to Biggin
Parish Council:
I note and welcome the motion from Cllr Mason with regard to supporting
the Climate and Nature Bill which has passed its first reading in the House and
is backed by over 370 local authorities and 250 MPs. The Bill requires the UK government to
develop and deliver a new environmental plan.
Not only halting but reversing the decline in nature, setting nature
measurably on the path to recovery by 2030.
Ensuring that no-one is left behind, prioritising nature in decision
making giving people a say in finding a fair way forward through an independent
and temporary Climate & Nature Assembly.
I am heartened that the Council resolve to support the principle of the
Climate and Nature Bill and to reduce inequalities across the region.
My question to this meeting is:
Will residents be able to be involved in the Climate and Nature Assembly
and how will the Council’s support of this bill actively impact on residents
and policy making at NYC? In our local
parish of Biggin in Appleton Roebuck and Church Fenton, there has been unlawful
deforestation of over 100 trees and no action has been taken by this Council in
over 6 months.
Councillor Greg
White, Executive Member for Managing our Environment, provided the following
response:
The Climate and
Nature Bill is an exciting piece of emerging legislation, as you say, which
requires the UK government to develop and deliver new environmental plans which
halt and reverse the decline of nature. We are aware this has gone through the
first stage of the House of Commons, with the 1st reading taking place earlier
in March this year; but are cognisant there are many more phases this Bill must
go through before it reaches Royal Assent.
As such, proposals
around the Climate and Nature Assembly or who can participate remain unclear at
this stage and ultimately would be up to the Secretary of State to define. But
we recognise the importance of such an Assembly and will proactively seek out
opportunities to participate, if and when this becomes possible.
Whilst we wait for
this Bill to progress through the House of Commons Bill Passage. I would draw
your attention to the work already underway in North Yorkshire; including the
statutory requirement to develop a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for York and
North Yorkshire. The LNRS seeks to consider land at a county scale and will
identify locations to improve nature and provide other benefits, such as
capturing carbon from the atmosphere, flood regulation and access to
nature-rich spaces where this is most needed for health and wellbeing.
North Yorkshire is
also leading on the Local Investment in Natural Capital (LINC) Programme, which
is working to understand how we can attract investment into natural capital
that can restore and sustain the natural environment, whilst unlocking
significant economic value. LINC is developing a model to support us to
increase green finance for nature-based solutions such as tree planting and
peatland restoration, and support farmers to access new private sector
investments that increase resilience in the landscapes they manage.