Kettering Town Council Climate Change Working Group abolished by vote split along party lines

A Kettering Town Council off-shoot group dedicated to tackling issues of climate change has been abolished after a vote by councillors last night (Wednesday, January 18).

The Climate Change Working Group had been meeting to ‘examine and pursue’ solutions to address the impact of climate change within the town council’s remit.

But Conservative members of the council voted against a proposal to establish a standing committee responsible to the full council backed by the Greens and Labour members.

Cllr Emily Fedorowycz (Green, All Saints) had been appointed in 2021 as the town council’s Climate Champion to set up the working group and to involve the wider community.

She said: “I was very saddened to see the Conservative councillors of Kettering Town Council abolish the Climate Change Working Group last night.

"This sends a very poor message - at a time when commitment to driving forward local climate action is so desperately needed.

"Without this group, we will not see things happen at the same pace – and that is something we cannot afford at this critical time in history.

"We declared a Climate Emergency as a council in 2021, but this needs to be followed up by meaningful action - this decision is the exact opposite of that.”

Formally declaring a climate emergency Kettering Town Council had resolved that a councillor be nominated to be the council’s Climate Change Champion and form a working group.

Initially formed from an even split of parties, numbers reduced down from seven to five members with a conservative majority.

Things came to a head at the council meeting in October 2022 when Cllr Fedorowycz introduced two sets of minutes outlining the various proposals that the working group wished to make, following a consultation event in August 2022 as to where the council could focus its efforts, and a specific proposal to explore the business case for placing ‘green’ roofs on bus shelters in town.

At the October meeting, members had expressed concern that the proposals had emerged without all members of the working group having been fully engaged in them – sparking a review.

Last night, Conservative councillors were unanimous in their belief that the Climate Change Working Group’s activities should be brought back into an existing council committee.

Cllr Mark Rowley (Cons, Pipers Hill) said: “I think the working group is not working. Locations and times (for meetings) keep changing. It should be sent to the finance committee or events. It should be brought back in house to the council.”

Cllr Scott Edwards (Cons, St Michaels and Wicksteed) said: “I feel it’s left to one person. Emily (Cllr Fedorowycz) takes on everything. We should be taking an active role – we should be playing that role. We should all make those decisions.”

Leader of the council Cllr Lloyd Bunday (Cons, Ise Lodge), who proposed a motion to abolish the committee, said: “We (Kettering Town Council) don’t own any land or property and going into schools (for educational talks) is a unitary role.”