The Scrutiny Committee will meet on 5 August 2025 to consider the following items. Report and recommendations, including those from its working groups, from the meeting will be published as a late supplement.

• Oxpens River Bridge Update
• Local Plan 2042 Climate change and resilience
• Annual Air Quality Status Report

The Scrutiny Committee met on 5 August 2025 and reviewed the Oxpens River Bridge Update. The Climate and Environment Working Group met on 22 July 2025 to consider the Net Zero Tracker, the Local Plan 2042 Climate Change and Resilience, and the Annual Air Quality Status Report. Councillor Alex Powell noted that there were not recommendations arising from the Working Group regarding the Net Zero Tracker.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions and recommendations regarding the Oxpens River Bridge Update. He noted that the Committee discussed possible impacts, risks, and the likelihood of further delays.

-       Recommendation: That Cabinet undertake high-level remodelling and assess potential impact of the judicial review appeal progressing to a hearing, particularly around timescales and future costings, to ensure the Council is better prepared and has a more informed basis for decision.

Councillor Hollingsworth responded to the recommendations from Scrutiny and said that Cabinet had agreed the recommendation from Scrutiny.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Climate and Environment Working Group’s discussions and recommendations relating to the Local Plan 2042 Climate Change and Resilience. He noted that the Working Group emphasised the need to integrate building cooling systems into building plans moving forward.

-       Recommendation 1: That the Local Plan 2042 include clearer support for renewable energy schemes, particularly the potential for solar panel installations on terraced houses through community-led energy schemes.

-       Recommendation 2: That there is greater robustness demonstrated in the Local Plan 2042 supporting text acknowledging the urgency of climate action when balancing the need to address climate emergency through retrofitting heritage buildings to support decarbonisation against the need to minimise harm to heritage assets.

-       Recommendation 3: That the Plan explicitly references the potential use of energy offsetting funds from developers for retrofit improvements to schools and community buildings, recognising the wider public benefit of public buildings rather than individual residential buildings, and criteria applied to the allocation of these funds prioritises maximum community impact.

-       Recommendation 4: That there is specific language acknowledging the potential for loss and damage associated with new and existing properties in areas of high flood risk, and that local plan policies ensure applicants take account of these potential impacts in future planning and climate resilience design features to minimise possible damage (e.g. positioning of plugs, use of specific materials on the ground floor that can cope with flood damage).

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Climate and Environment Working Group’s discussions and recommendations relating to the Annual Air Quality Status Report.

-       Recommendation: That the Air Quality Action Plan incorporates specific measures addressing the use of diesel generators associated with street trading, construction and similar activities, reflecting the Council’s regulatory responsibilities in relation to street trading and seek to reduce air quality impacts.

Councillor Hollingsworth provided the Cabinet responses to the recommendations from the Climate and Environment Working Group regarding the Local Plan 2042. Generally, he said that they would agree with most of the recommendations regarding the Local Plan 2042. He noted that there were limitations from government guidance and legislation which meant that they could only agree in part to recommendations two and three from the Working Group. Regarding loss and damage policies, he said that those would be set out in greater detail later on in the Local Plan delivery process. He said that recommendations one and four had been agreed by Cabinet.

Councillor Railton provided the Cabinet response to the recommendation from the Climate and Environment Working Group relating to the Annual Air Quality Status Report. She said that they had agreed the recommendation in part.

Councillor Brown thanked the Scrutiny Committee and the Chair of Scrutiny for their work and discussions on these items.