East Herts election: How will the parties strengthen council’s action on climate change and the environment?

Thursday’s local elections are a chance for us to vote to strengthen East Herts Council’s action on climate change and the environment.

The Bishop’s Stortford Climate Group reached out to candidates to explore their position on a range of key issues.

It received replies from the three major parties and from Independent Colin Woodward, who is standing in Stortford’s Parsonage ward, and their responses are summarised here. The Green Party confirmed its support for the issues raised but did not provide a detailed response.

If elected, will you call for EHC to reaffirm its commitment to its Climate Change Motion, review progress towards its target and strengthen its policies?

The Conservatives will ‘continue to put sustainability at the heart of everything the council does’ but made no comment on strengthening policies.

For the Liberal Democrats, Calvin Horner noted that ‘constant pressure is required to make progress towards net zero… this will require more stringent policies.’ Martin Adams added: “I expect progress to be measurable and publicly available, with stated mitigations to increasing over-development.”

Labour gave the strongest response, outlining a commitment to ‘dramatic progress on net zero… a dynamic climate policy, touching all areas of the council and… declaring a climate emergency in East Herts’. Key issues include engaging large businesses, energy efficiency in existing homes and ensuring that no plastic waste is sent abroad.

Independent Colin Woodward expressed his support of stronger commitments, with a particular focus on air quality.

If elected, will you push for EHC to undertake and complete, within one year of the election, a partial update of the Local Plan (LPPU) to require all new developments to be net zero? And to require net zero for domestic extensions when homes are modified?

The Conservatives made no commitment to push for net zero developments or to accelerate a review of the Local Plan.

The Lib Dems described the current lack of net zero requirements as reprehensible and ‘long overdue’. Martin Adams stressed the need to look at access and transport: “If a new housing estate is built that adds 1,000 cars to the town, I would expect mitigation… that will take 1,000 cars off the road by building more cycle paths and walkways.”

Labour are committed to expediting the partial review of the Local Plan which ‘needs to be very strong about net zero’. They suggest a ‘pragmatic response’ such as ‘a number of basic tickboxes that developers cannot argue against, such as: no gas, insulation and ventilation minimum standards, percentage from on-site renewable energy, no landfill waste, non-sewer drainage, banned materials, percentage site area for green land’. The Labour manifesto also calls for an East Herts Green Belt policy ‘regulating solar farms, recreation in the green belt and farming diversification’.

Colin Woodward supports the partial update of the plan and ‘seeking net zero where practicable within planning legislation’.

If elected, will you push for a full review of the project to regenerate the Old River Lane site, to engage the community and deliver new and exemplary proposals fully in line with the council’s commitment to work towards carbon neutrality by 2030?

Labour, the Lib Dems and Colin Woodward all support a full review of the ORL project.

The Lib Dems point out that the development as currently proposed ‘contradicts the council’s own (environmental) policies’ and will press for new proposals that are ‘consistent with the council’s commitments on reaching carbon neutrality, which should favour the retention of existing buildings’.

According to Labour, ‘this development should set an example for the whole district and show council leadership’. They commit to ‘leading on a new planning and development brief for the area, starting from sustainability, adaptation of existing buildings, pedestrian and cycle route integration with the town, mixed tenure housing and green links’.

The Conservatives did not express support for a full review of the project, stating that they ‘will continue to look at the best way to proceed with this regeneration project and put sustainability at the heart of the redevelopment’.

If elected, will you commit to enhance the management of parks and green space for wildlife, to continue ‘No Mow May’ and to develop green corridors throughout East Herts?

The Conservatives said they will ‘continue to enhance the management of parks and green space for wildlife’ and that they have ‘led the way in creating new wildflower meadows to help boost habitats for a variety of wildlife – including pollinating insects’.

The Lib Dems and Colin Woodward expressed support for green corridors and for improving the management of green spaces, including initiatives like ‘No Mow May’ where appropriate.

Labour commit ‘to creating a green spaces strategy, to breaking down the division between public and private green space to enable green corridors, and to enhance and diversify existing green spaces’.

If elected, will you follow the Pesticide Action Network UK three-year phase-out plan for pesticides?

The Conservatives refer to minimising and ‘where possible’ excluding the use of pesticides/herbicides, in line with the council’s current policy.

Calvin Horner (Lib Dem) would press for the phase-out plan to be adopted and commented that ‘by ending the use of pesticides the district council would be an exemplar for other organisations and the public to similarly phase out their use’. Similarly, Colin Woodward gives his full support ‘as an active beekeeper’.

Labour say they will ‘find out, learn, talk to you and others and… do our best on this.’