Environment Working Group Meetings

ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP NOTES

Notes taken of the Environment Working Group meetings can be found on the "Good for Charmouth" page. 

Presentations from the Green Week morning held on 1 October can be found as follows:

• Carbon Footprint Audit - Under "Good for Charmouth" tab

• Protection and Marine Environment - a work in progress - www.gov.uk/government/publications/shoreline-management-plans-smps

• GBDH – best would be to reference - www.DorsetCAN.org/hedge

• River Char Community Project –  www.Charvalley.org

• Lower Char Community Project –  www.riverchar.org

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ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. FUNCTION OF THE GROUP

The group will aim to have a core function of being a filter for the Council on environmental issues. This will have the following aims:

1.1 Biodiversity and Carbon capture

To promote or enable projects within the Parish that contribute to local environmental improvements of protecting and increasing biodiversity, flood and wind management and natural carbon capture. This would be on Parish owned or managed land and through liaison with private landowners, local businesses and residents.

1.2 Encouraging Good Environmental Practice

To support the Parish Council in promoting and enabling good environmental practice with regard to issues such as waste management, transport infrastructure, chemical pollution and promoting green energy concepts within the Parish. Much of this might involve acting as an informed body to assess relevant environmentally linked documentation from outside bodies that is passed to the Parish Council for review and response. This would include influencing activities of the Parish Council and residents and businesses that exist within, or impact upon, the Parish.

2. WORKING GROUP COMPOSITION, MEETINGS AND DECISION MAKING

2.1 Composition

The Group shall consist of a minimum of four elected or co-opted members of the Council. The Chairman of the Council may attend ex-officio.

Up to two members of the public may be appointed to the Group. In addition, the Group may co-opt members of the public with specific experience or expertise in a particular topic for the term of that project.

The Group will elect from amongst its number a willing Chair.

2.2 Voting rights

The ex-officio attending Chair of the Parish Council shall have full voting rights. Members of the public will not have voting rights. The quorum shall be 50 % of voting members and a minimum of three. In the event of an equality of votes the Group Chair shall have the right to a second and casting vote.

A duly convened meeting of the Group at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all or any of the authorities, powers and discretions invested in or exercisable by the Group.

2.3 Meeting frequency

A minimum of six formal meetings a year should be convened, and these can be attended either virtually or in person as circumstances allow. Other meetings may be in the form of site visits and, for practicality, may only involve some of the Group members. On these occasions, information will be relayed back to the group via email to give a summary of the visit.

The conduct of meetings shall have regard to the standing orders of the Council and to national legislation.

3. FINANCE

The Group will submit proposals for expenditure to the appropriate Committee and will endeavour to attract grants and funding from external sources. The Group will operate under the Financial Regulations of the Parish Council regarding dispersal of this funding.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chair of the Group shall draw the attention of the Council to any issues that require disclosure to the Council or require action by the Council. The Chair of the Group shall also report to the Parish Council at any relevant meetings on the activities of the Group if it impacts upon that Committee.

5. AMENDMENT TO TERMS OF REFERENCE

The full Parish Council may amend the terms of reference with one month’s written notice.