Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from: Councillor Jennie Bone.

No declarations were made.

RESOLVED that:

The minutes from the meeting held on the 6^th October 2022 were approved as a correct record.

The Panel considered a presentation by The Co-Founder of Electric Corby, which outlined the objectives of the ‘North Northamptonshire to Net Zero’ project. 

During discussion, the principal points were noted:

·         One member posited that large logistics companies based in Northamptonshire should be encouraged to implement solar panel technology, in compliance with net zero targets.

·         Members suggested that North Northamptonshire Council should continue collaborate with local farmers, in promoting energy efficiency.

·         Members supported the notion that planning policy around new housing developments could tie-in with net zero plans, by the promoting passive housing and implementing speed limits around residential areas.

·         Members queried whether public opinion could still feed in to the North Northamptonshire to Net Zero plan and questioned how this could be done.

·         One member explained that although fertiliser, used for agriculture, was gas-intensive, it would not be realistic to aim to remove it completely from farming (food production). The member also expressed concern around the cost-effectiveness of moving towards hydrogen-powered vehicles.

·         Members expressed concern that a ‘low carbon route’ would not be financially viable for many local residents unless companies and markets could be influenced to make this more cost-effective.

In response, The Co-Founder of Electric Corby clarified that:

·         Officers were engaging with planners and had explored the implementation of speed limits and low emission zones around residential areas and would continue to analyse the effects of such measures.

·         The NN2NZ.co.uk website provided an online form, which local residents could use to contact the local authority.

·         The transition to hydrogen would be a significant challenge however, it would have a role to play in achieving net zero.

RESOLVED that:

The report be noted.

The Panel considered a presentation by The Director of Public Affairs from Starship Technologies, which outlined the rollout of Starship delivery technology across North Northamptonshire, to achieve decarbonisation.

During discussion, the principal points were noted:

·         Members acknowledged that the effectiveness of Starship’s delivery machines would be dependent on ensuring North Northamptonshire pavements and roads were maintained to a good standard.

·         Members expressed support for the implementation of such technology to deter local residents from driving and using less environmentally-friendly methods of transport to take short trips to shops.

·         One member queried how towns were selected for Starship Technology rollout and questioned whether robots would be implemented in other areas of North Northamptonshire.

In response, The Director of Public Affairs clarified that:

·         There was potential to engage with smaller businesses in implementing Starship delivery technology.

·         Delivery robots required recharging every 18 hours and used, on average, the same amount of energy used to boil a cup of water for every delivery. Deliveries were usually limited to a radius of 3 kilometres.

·         Following successful rollouts in Northampton and Milton Keynes, Starship would seek to expand to other areas of North Northamptonshire.

RESOLVED that:

The report be noted.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Climate Change, Environment and Growth Executive Advisory Panel would be held virtually, via Zoom, on Tuesday 22^nd November at 2:00pm.