Most borough, district, county and unitary authorities are doing something about climate change, but won’t necessarily have all got to the same stage in their journey.
Those that have already declared a net zero target may have already been in touch about their action plan.
If the authority has appointed one or more climate officers, they will be good people to approach in the first instance – possibly via a parish councillor who is also a district or county councillor.
There are a number of joint actions which may develop from first conversations, such as:
- Agreement over mowing regimes for highway verges
- Provision of electric vehicle charging points
- Co-ordination and publicity of public transport
- Installation of solar panels, on private, rented or social housing
Even without the Power of Competence, town and parish councils can support other authorities’ functions under Section 101 of the 1972 Local Government Act.
Local councils can of course also work with their planning authorities on planning policy:
- Local Plans
- Local Transport Plans
- Neighbourhood Development Plans
More guidance on local planning with respect to climate change can be found here.