Global warming, council could do better (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Global warming, council could do better

2:14pm Monday 17th September 2007

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ST ALBANS District Council has come under attack for its allegedly half-hearted attempts to fight global warming.

The authority's draft "Carbon Management Strategy" to reduce emissions of the gases that are heating our climate has been criticised not only by the Green Party but even by a councillor from the ruling Lib Dem group.

Green Party spokesman Simon Grover said: "The council's strategy needs to be much bolder, with clear objectives focussed on high priority issues.

"Time is running out so we need the emphasis to be on action.

"The council needs to take its responsibilities seriously, stop leaving it up to us, and do everything it can to reduce this threat we're facing.

"The council seems to be happy just talking about it and doing very little."

He said forward-thinking councils like Woking and Merton now required developers to include renewable energy in its plans, had switched its electricity contract to renewable sources and had invested in combined heat and power plants.

Libreral Democrat councillor Jack Pia described the district council's strategy as "a very woolly document."

He said: "Everybody says they want to be green, but nobody wants to do it.

"The scientific evidence that we are at least partly responsible for global warming is overwhelming."

He endorsed the Greens' calls for local planning rules insisting on environmentally friendly building materials, and said public transport should be encouraged by banning cars from St Peter's Street and installing bus lanes in other busy streets His other ideas include new homes with bike racks rather than parking spaces, and the removal of planning constraints on solar panels - even on St Albans Abbey.

Cllr Mike Ellis, portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, said the council was working on many ways to be green, but that changes would take time.

He said: "The strategy is currently out for consultation, and as well as consulting with the public we are working with key players includin the Buildings Research Establishment, Rothamsted Research, the University of Hertfordshire and Faber Maunsell. So we don't know exactly what the shape of the strategy will be once it's written.

"We are not sitting on our hands. We are working to reduce our own emissions, the housing department is installing insulation and double glazing, we have just completed our cycling strategy, we are having all the light fittings changed to be more energy efficient and we are just about to fit solar panels to our building, subject to planning consent.

"I feel we are up to speed in that we are getting a move on with all these things. But I guess everyone would have liked it to have been done yesterday."

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