Councillors back Plymouth environment plans

Members from all parties agree to take note of government's bill

Proposals aimed at protecting Plymouth’s environment have been agreed by city councillors.

On Monday members from all parties agreed to take note of the government’s proposed Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill and for the leader to write to local MPs, asking them to guarantee that relevant government departments state strong, ambitious biodiversity targets to mitigate the ecological crisis. 

Supporting the motion, Cllr Mary Aspinall (Labour, Sutton and Mount Gould) said: “I think COP26 showed us that young people don’t think we’re making a difference.

“They don’t believe it’s anything more than blah blah blah – rather than action. So, to me, this would be one way of showing the young people in Plymouth that we do care about the environment and the ecological problems at the moment. 

“It’s their future. So, we as a council need to be responsible.”

However a second motion by marine social scientist Cllr Dr Pamela Buchan (Labour, Honicknowle) and dubbed ‘Motion for the Ocean’, faced opposition from the Conservative group.

Council leader Nick Kelly (Conservative, Compton) attempted to introduce an amendment to prevent councillors making a final decision at the full council meeting. 

The original proposal focussed on the role of the National Marine Park (NMP) and aimed to: “Grow ocean literacy and marine citizenship in the city, including ensuring all pupils have a first-hand experience of the ocean before leaving primary school, and promote sustainable and equitable access to the ocean through physical and digital experiences, ensuring these are key outcomes in the development of the NMP.” 

It would also establish a timetable for action for protecting the waters around Plymouth. 

While Cllr Kelly said he agreed with the principles of the main motion, his amendment would have ensured that it would be studied by the scrutiny committee before being considered. 

Opposition members, including Cllr Buchan, were unhappy about this and said that would delay the process.

“If we’re going to use local planning to say that we can’t create change, then I think we’ve got a bigger problem even than the amendments on this motion,” said Cllr Buchan. 

“Because this is the entire purpose of what we’re doing. We’re trying to set the agenda for a healthy and sustainable future.”

Labour leader Tudor Evans (Labour, Ham) was infuriated by the attempt to introduce an amendment and potentially delay the process. “We have dithered and delayed for decade after decade,” he said.

“The time to kick the can down the road has passed. It is now time to pick that can up, to recycle it and to recover our oceans.”

The amendment was lost and the original motion was then discussed. But Cllr Kelly accused Labour of not being prepared to cross-party working.

He said: “It was a motion put forward to try to change policy … Plymouth Council policy … that directly affects everyone in our city, by a party that has desperately lost power and has very little influence.”

Cllr Buchan thanked members for their support ahead of the vote and said it would be a positive step forward.  

“Thank you to those who are supporting this, and who recognise that it’s very difficult to make the decisions that create change. 

“But this is one of those decisions and I’m really excited if we get this … about what we can do in Plymouth going forward.”

The motion was passed with most Conservatives – the ruling party on the council – abstaining. 

A third motion called on the council leader to write to all local MPs to lobby the environment secretary to provide a timetable for ending raw sewage discharges into rivers and seas.

It also called on South West Water to declare their plans to eradicate the practice in rivers and coastal areas around Plymouth and rivers that flow through the city.

Cllr Kelly said he was “quite happy” to write to the secretary of state and stressed the importance of protecting the waters around Plymouth.