Our work towards a sustainable Spelthorne

Tackling climate change continues to be an important priority for the council. The climate change agreement in Paris in December 2015 agreed to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees and the need to achieve zero net global carbon emissions by the second half of this century to achieve this commitment.

Climate Change Working Group

The Council set up in late 2019 a Leader's Working Group on climate change. With a change in Leadership of the Council in May 2020 the responsibility for the Working Group was passed to the Cabinet Member for the Environment and reformed into a full Working Party on Climate Change. The Working Party is exploring ways to cut Spelthorne Council's carbon and harmful emissions, with a target to make Spelthorne Council (including all buildings and services) carbon neutral at the earliest opportunity. Key aims of the group include:

• to develop an action plan to deliver our target of carbon neutrality by 2050, by the end of March 2020 (building on the existing sustainability strategy)
• to make recommendations to Cabinet on areas for improvement following a review of existing policies which can impact on 'climate change' and to identify, and make recommendations on, developing new environmental policies where required which will help move the Council and Borough towards carbon neutrality by 2050
• to report to Cabinet appropriate action plans and targets to deliver the Council's 2050 target of zero carbon emissions
• to monitor progress with delivering the action plans and achieving targets and report on progress to Cabinet on a quarterly basis
• for members of the Working Party to act as 'climate change' champions by leading by example and advocating action on climate change. The Council has an important community leadership role to play regarding the 'climate change' agenda
• the cross-party Working Group will consider the best way of engaging with key partners and work closely with the Government, the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council, local businesses, residents and other partners across the county and Borough to meet the target of making the Borough carbon neutral by 2050
• to consider and formulate a communication strategy to promote the Council's activities on climate change

Sustainability Strategy

The Council's Sustainabilty Strategy developed in 2016 set out nine target areas for how the council can address the causes and consequences of climate change and support a sustainable Spelthorne:

• energy efficiency
• water efficiency
• waste and pollution
• sustainable procurement
• sustainable planning, housing, and regeneration
• sustainable transport and travel
• biodiversity and open spaces
• awareness and engagement
• risks and adaptation

Carbon Management Plan

The Council's Carbon Management Plan 2012-15 set out how the council would reduce carbon emissions from our estate and operations during the period of the plan. A total of 22 projects were identified and implemented which resulted in a 24% reduction in energy use (and related GHG emissions) from a baseline year of 2009/10.

Borough and District Climate Change Officers Group

Spelthorne Council are an active member of B and DCC a collaborative group involving the county council and all 11 surrey boroughs. The groups focus is on improving energy efficiency of homes and council estates; identifying opportunities for renewable energy and low carbon travel; developing learning for energy efficiency and sustainability in schools and understanding climate change impacts and improving climate change resilience.

Environmental work at the council

Our Planning and development promotes the use of renewable technologies in new developments, and sets out policies and site-specific proposals for the development and use of land in Spelthorne

The Environmental health  team deals with air, land and noise pollution.

Our waste management team manages and delivers the Borough's refuse, recycling and green waste collection services, as well as a scheme to deal with abandoned vehicles.

Our sustainability team implements energy and water efficiency projects within our buildings, low carbon travel initiatives and promotes the council's small one-off grants to qualifying owner-occupiers to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. They also promote national grant and incentive schemes.

Our Countryside and Commons Officer manages three of our Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI's) - Staines Moor, Shortwood Common and Dumsey Meadow - along with other biodiversity and conservation.

Our Applied Resilience team in partnership with the Sustainability Team coordinate flood risk management for the Borough including the watercourses and riparian responsibilities and working with communities to develop their own local emergency plans.

Along with other riverside councils, we are working with the Environment Agency on the River Thames Scheme. This scheme will reduce the risk of flooding from the Thames to homes businesses and critical infrastructure (roads, sewerage network power supplies).