Two North Northants councils say what they are going to do about climate change

Extinction Rebellion members are now regular attendees at Kettering Council.

Kettering Council and Wellingborough Council put some meat on the bones of this summer’s declarations of a climate change emergency with the Kettering authority introducing a number of new actions to try to make a positive impact on the globally worsening situation.

Measures include doubling the number of trees planted each year to 500, making sure new homes are energy efficient, installing new electric charging points in Kettering and also Burton Latimer and placing new recycling litter bins across the borough in parks and open spaces.

The authority will also be looking at the green credentials of its suppliers when buying services.

Leader Russell Roberts said: “No one who lives on this planet has done enough. We are heading for a lot of trouble. I have grandchildren and I take it very seriously.”

The move was welcomed by campaigners from the Kettering branch of Extinction Rebellion.Emily Fedorowycz praised the authority’s efforts and suggested ways the authority could go further by insisting all buses and taxis in the borough are electric or hybrid by 2025 and taking on a social media apprentice to communicate the council’s efforts.

Labour leader Mick Scrimshaw said his party supported the move but said this was a first step and suggested the council follow the lead of Camden Council and set up a citizens assembly to look at the issue.

The authority has also nominated officers Rochelle Mathieson and James Wilson as climate change champions.

Wellingborough Council discussed its climate change actions at its full council meeting on Tuesday with leader Cllr Martin Griffiths announcing the immediate ban of plastic bottles from the council chamber.

The authority set up a climate change working group last month and discussed what actions were already being taken and what further ones could be taken by the borough council before it is abolished in 2021.

The group will meet again in November and draw up a refreshed climate change strategy for the council.