Portsmouth council vows to be more ambitious with climate change plans

Following a mammoth near-two hour debate at a full council meeting yesterday (January 14) Portsmouth councillors resolved to put into place a list of 17 actions to help reduce carbon emissions.

The move comes following a decision to declare a climate emergency last year that saw a new climate change action board set up among other measures.

However, Labour member Councillor Judith Smyth had concerns the council could do more and sparked discussion with a motion calling for further steps to be taken.

Speaking at full council she said: 'This is one of the most important items in any of our agendas.

'We are in a climate emergency. We need urgent and joined up action.'

Some of her suggestions included raising car parking charges and asking workplaces to pay for parking spaces.

Lib Dem Cllr Will Purvis believed they could learn something from another local council. 'I've spent some time in Nottingham recently, he said.

'When they first talked about putting in parking costs for businesses the chamber of commerce were up in arms. They said it would destroy the businesses.

'Has it done that? There's actually been an increase of 23 per cent in business.

'And it brings in £6m a year to the council. We need to make decisions now. We need to make change before it's too late.'

Cllr Steve Pitt agreed they should be looking to others for inspiration. He said: 'We are behind the curve. The University of Portsmouth does not allow staff who live within a two mile radius to have a permit, or if they want one they have to pay £500 a year.

'We ought to be discussing that with them. If the largest employers are looking at it we should look too.'

However, Cllr Luke Stubbs had some concerns about the high street. He said: 'Do we want to say we want to make it more expensive to come to the high street?

'Instead people are going to go to the retail parks where there's free parking. That's what that will achieve.'

An amendment to Cllr Smyth's motion which acknowledged current work undertaken and added further ideas for reducing pollution was put forward by the Lib Dems.

These included working with local environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth, expanding the city's food waste trial and look at providing electric charging for ships at the international port.

Councillors voted unanimously to include the Lib Dem amendment.