Decision details

The Service Director, Democratic Services and Communication provided the Cabinet with the recommendations of the Climate Change Cabinet Steering Group, which met on the 16th November 2020, to consider reports on Nature’s Assets, the Strategic and Local Development Plans and Energy Generation.

The Service Director drew Members’ attention to Section 4 of the report, which detailed the comments and subsequent recommendations made by the Steering Group in respect of each of the reports considered.

The Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, Well-being & Cultural Services and Chair of the Climate Change Cabinet Steering Group was pleased to note that the Steering Group continued to work well and recognised that climate change was the challenge of the age. The Cabinet Member highlighted the key recommendation of the Group, which was for the Council to consider the most suitable land for peatbog restoration and water sequestration and how, along with the use of green spaces and electrical vehicle charging points, it can link into the Council’s Local Development Plan.

The Cabinet Member continued and spoke of Energy Generation and the reference to the Taffs Well Thermal Spring Project, which was currently underway and when completed would make use of renewable geo-thermal/underground energy using water from the River Taff. The Cabinet Member extended his thanks to the Director of Corporate Estates for the amount of work undertaken to develop such projects and looked forward to further updates in the future.

The Leader echoed the Cabinet Member’s thanks to the Director and commented that in addition to the work of the Climate Change Cabinet Steering Group, a plethora of work had been undertaken over a number of years in terms of energy generation.

The Cabinet RESOLVED:

1.    To note the content of the three reports considered by the Climate Change Cabinet Steering Group on the 16^th November 2020, which are attached to the report;

2.    To note the feedback and discussion of the Steering Group and;

3.    The recommendation of the Climate Change Cabinet Steering Group in respect of the Nature’s Assets report:

                      I.        That the Director, Corporate Estates and the Council’s Ecologist undertake a review of the publicly owned land, to identify those sites which are most suitable for peatbog restoration and the cost implications; with a report presented back to the Steering Group for its consideration.