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Liverpool to declare climate emergency at special debate

LIVERPOOL City Council will look to declare a Climate Change Emergency at a special debate next week. Staged at Liverpool Town Hall, when all 90 Councillors will be asked to vote on passing a motion that will require the City Council to cut its carbon output to 'zero' by 2030. In a cross party motion, the leaders of all 4 political parties will also pledge to commit the City Council to work with individuals and partners across Liverpool to support them in reaching a net 'zero carbon' position by 2030.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, who signed up to the European Covenant of Mayors carbon target in 2017, is set to underline the importance of the task by announcing he will appoint a dedicated Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, with the Council also creating a new dedicated climate change Select Committee.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said:- "Climate change is not just a threat to our children, or our children's children. It is happening right here, right now which is why the City Council is setting the target to become a zero carbon local authority. We've radically cut carbon emissions over the past decade but we can do much more and the new cabinet member and select committee will have a wide remit to ensure we do. But if we are to really make a difference we need changes in Government legislation. That is why we are part of the UK100 initiative, to demand Whitehall implements the changes and provides the money it needs to. We need to act now and set aside our party differences to act together."

The new Select Committee will be tasked with developing and implementing a comprehensive work programme and identifying key actions. Independent stakeholders will also be invited to the select committee and the Council will also seek to commission an advisory organisation to guide the Council in delivering its goals.

Councillor Richard Kemp, Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrats, said:- "The fact that all Parties are coming together on this vital matter is an important 1st step.  But none of this will work unless all the 480,000 people in Liverpool, all our Schools, all our businesses and all our visitors change their culture. Fighting climate change needs all of us to be involved but next week the Council will set the framework for this greater involvement."

Following the special debate the Council will also seek an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State for the Environment to present Liverpool's concerns and ideas.

It is estimated Liverpool has cut 840,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere since 2005. Organisations which have made a major contribution in reducing the City's carbon footprint, through energy saving initiatives such as Liverpool University creating a Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) and Energy Centre and The Nuseum of Liverpool introducing a tri-generation plant.

Councillor Tom Crone, leader of the Green Party, said:- "Declaring a climate emergency is an important 1st step but it's vital we take action straight away to reduce carbon emissions, there can be no delay. I welcome this coming together on an issue I and the other Green Party Councillors have campaigned on but now I want to see actions taken that reflect the urgency of the situation. We need to do our bit to head off climate breakdown."

Liverpool City Council is currently on target to cut its carbon emissions by 42% by 2020 since 2005. Key to this achievement includes

a policy of only buying green energy, installing 27,000 LED street lights across the City, investing in solar panels in major venues such as at ACC Liverpool and introducing ultra low emission vehicles into its fleet.

Councillor Steve Radford, Leader of the Liberal Party said:- "We are custodians of the City and the globe, we must and will strive to ensure that future generations have a planet where we do not outstrip its resources and destroy its climate. The Liberal Party stood up to the table during the cities financial crisis and we will be unwavering in our diligence and commitment to pragmatic steps for our City to lead in the fight to save our climate."

The Council is also a major partner in the ₤4m URBAN GreenUP project, which includes a new phase of tree planting in the City Centre. It is also investing in cycling and has already installed 100 bike Stations, with the Mayor announcing last week to match fund a ₤2m fund into creating new cycle routes.

The Council is currently creating a dedicated bus layover facility that has been designed to help take 900,000km of bus miles off the City Centre network and 2,000 tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere; every year. And looking further ahead Mayor Anderson has signed an agreement to work with eco-pioneers, The Poseidon Foundation, to offset the Council's fuel and energy emissions by using blockchain technology to support the preservation of forests in the Amazon basin. A major report on the next steps for this ground breaking partnership is due by the end of July 2019.

Government set to be asked to renew Landlord Licensing Scheme

LIVERPOOL City Council is set to submit a bid to the Government to extend its pioneering Landlord Licensing Scheme for another 5 years, from 1 April 2020. It follows a 3 month consultation from March to May which garnered views on the cost of the licence, the conditions and the wider benefits of the ground breaking scheme to tenants and the community. A majority of the residents who responded; 58% agreed with the conditions laid down by the scheme.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said:- "Over the last 5 years, Landlord Licensing has got us through the door at tens of thousands of private rented properties; and in the majority of cases we have found they need action to bring them up to standard. Poorly managed properties have a negative impact on tenants and blight neighbouring properties and communities, so a well managed private rented sector is key to helping improve our residents' lives.  Our licensing team has found many shocking examples of landlords happy to take rent off their tenants, while providing them with substandard accommodation, often with issues around heating, damp and poor electrics. We've made massive progress and led the way nationally in tackling poor housing conditions and bad property management, but we believe we need to continue with the scheme beyond 2020 to continue making a difference and drive up standards in the sector."

The Council 1st launched the scheme in April 2015 to help drive up standards in the private rental sector. It requires property owners across Liverpool to hold a licence for each of their rental homes. Over 52,000 licences have been issued since 2015 to around 9,000 landlords and almost 29,000 compliance actions have been carried out by the 55 strong team. Overall, 70% of inspected properties were found to be in breach of their licence conditions. Inspections have also uncovered serious hazards such as fire and excess cold.

Councillor Lynnie Hinnigan, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing, added:- "This is about creating a level playing field for the sector and making sure tenants have an understanding of the standards they should expect.  Every single penny we get is ringfenced for the Landlord Licensing service, with our team out on the streets every day inspecting properties, chasing disrepairs and taking landlords to court when they don't sort out the problems."

It is a criminal offence to rent out a property without the required licence and nearly 2,200 legal notices have been issued, along with 110 fixed penalty notices issued, and 19 successful prosecutions. Nationally, figures show that Liverpool alone is responsible for 389% of the 460% national rise in prosecutions between 2012 and 2018.

The Landlord Licensing Team works alongside:- Street Scene Officers, Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and other partners to identify unlicensed properties and address issues on non-compliance.

Nick McCormack, Station Manager for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, said:- "Working in partnership with the Council Landlord Licensing Team, landlords and residents helps us identify any potential risks to our communities before they develop into more serious incidents that may present a risk to life. We strongly support an extension to the Landlord Licensing Scheme which will improve residents' quality of life, increase building safety and reduce the potential for serious incidents before they occur."

Following feedback during the consultation, the Council has reviewed the fees originally proposed for the scheme, down from ₤550 to ₤450 per property, while licence holders for accredited properties will be subject to a ₤300 fee per property licence, rather than the ₤350 originally proposed. This is paid in two instalments and is much lower than fees charged by other local authorities.

The Cabinet will consider a report at its meeting, on Friday, 19 July 2019, recommending the Council seek approval from the Secretary of State for the scheme to continue. A decision is expected in the autumn.