Agenda item

The Chair of Council made the following announcement:-

“I would just like to highlight two special events that have taken place in the past few days.

On 4th November, His Royal Highness, the Earl of Wessex, visited the new Danum Gallery, Library and Museum.  His Royal Highness was given a tour of the new facility and spent over an hour talking to staff who had been involved in the design, building and running of the new building, as well as spending time with local schoolchildren.

It was a great honour for our Town and afterwards, we received a letter from the Royal household saying how much His Royal Highness had enjoyed the visit.

Last Sunday we held our annual Remembrance Observance at the Cenotaph.  Following the removal of restrictions, we were able to welcome a large contingent of regular and reservist members of our Armed Forces, veterans and cadets to the war Memorial at Bennetthorpe, to pay our respects to those men and women who gave their lives in two World Wars and other conflicts.

Members of the public turned out in large numbers to pay their respects too.  It was a very moving occasion and one that I will long remember.”

The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, made the following announcement:-

“I would like to make a statement in relation to the Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and the North, which has been published today.

The new rail plan includes major changes to the proposals for HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. It will have significant implications for Doncaster and our communities.

This Council has long since had disagreements in relation to the planned route of HS2 through Doncaster, which would destroy family homes, split communities and blight a number of areas in the West of the Borough.

Despite today’s headlines, I should make clear to Council that the Government is still committed to looking at options on how best to take HS2 services to Leeds. As a consequence, safeguarding of the previously proposed high speed route North of East Midlands Parkway will remain in place, pending conclusion of this work.

That does not give certainty to our residents and businesses. In the short to medium term, it continues to leave people facing an uncertain future. In my view, this is not acceptable and our position on the previous HS2 route has of course not changed.

I do welcome the Government announcement to deliver significant further investment in the East Coast Main Line as part of the plan. However, we do need to take time to understand the full implications of the new proposals.

Ultimately, what I want to see is certainty for our communities and improvements to our local rail network, with more services and better trains. We need a safe and reliable public transport network in order to encourage higher usage, which will support our ambitions to combat climate change.

That is what I will be working with local partners to achieve.”

Councillor Mark Houlbrook, Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Waste, made the following announcement:-

“Many had great hopes, but few had great expectations of an agreement being made in Glasgow, which sets out a plan to a 1.5 degree pathway.

Under the Glasgow Climate Pact, nations have been requested to consider, formulate and publish updated Nationally Determined Contributions (the amount of emissions generated by each country), by the time COP27 begins in Egypt next year.

The UK, for example, updated its NDC after exiting the European Union, targeting a 68% reduction in emissions by 2030.

Doncaster made a Borough-wide commitment to achieve 85% reduction in emissions by 2030, and so we continue to set a high level of ambition for our contribution to the national and global response to climate change.

As a reminder of the pledges and commitments made by Doncaster Council:-

1.    Borough-wide commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 85% by 2030 and achieve net zero carbon by 2040;

2.    To plant 1 million trees across Doncaster with both public and private sector landowners;

3.    To allocate £5m for the initiation of environment and sustainability activities;

4.    To move to a zero emission Council fleet;

5.    To support the creation of habitat banks for developers to deliver on their biodiversity net gain obligations;

6.    To pilot a naturalisation approach to the management of greenspaces; and

7.    Allocation of Doncaster Council resources to co-ordinate and drive activities to support carbon reduction and nature recovery across Doncaster.

In response to publishing our new Environment & Sustainability Strategy and Net Zero Carbon Masterplan, and in response to these pledges, we have initiated a number of projects and developments:-

1.    We now have 25 electric vehicles in the Council fleet and 25 on order;

2.    We are developing our charging infrastructure with 34 fleet charging bays installed and a further 20 approved for development including a solar carport at the rear of the Civic Office;

3.    Funding approved for 80 new public charging bays for development before March 2022, doubling the current public charging offer in Doncaster across all public and private car parks;

4.    Planning approval given for developing Scarborough House car park providing a further 50 charging bays for fleet and public use;

5.    £18.8m has been approved for housing retrofit, to insulate over 2,000 homes, with a further £3m that we have bid for;

6.    Funding secured and works underway to decarbonise the heat supply at Askern Leisure Centre; one of only 2 remaining coal heated Leisure Centres in England. Bids submitted for the same works at 2 more Leisure Centres;

7.    £2.6m approved for lighting upgrades and solar installations on 11 Council buildings; and

8.    Tree planting; we are now in the main season for tree planting. We have plans in place to plant 50,000 over the next couple of months. We are currently receiving reports every week from residents and businesses of planned tree planting. Together, we can and we will meet the pledge to plant a million trees across Doncaster.

Finally, I must pay a special vote of thanks to the three Rotary Clubs of Doncaster and our Street Scene Team who will start planting over 1,500 trees this weekend at Sandall Park, to create a Covid Memorial Woodland to remember those that we have lost at the hands of the pandemic.”