| Cambridge City Council | |
|---|---|
| Polling Date: | 2nd May 2019 |
| Ward: | King's Hedges |
| Candidates (by surname): | Eric BARRETT-PAYTON (Conservative Party) Alexandra COLLIS (Labour Party) David CORN (UKIP) Angela DITCHFIELD (Green Party) Luke HALLAM (Liberal Democrat) Kevin PRICE (Labour Party) Ewan REDPATH (Liberal Democrat) Benedict SMITH (Conservative Party) |
Question 1
Do you agree that elected officials should now be responding to climate change as an emergency? Please answer yes or no. If ‘yes’, what do you mean by this? If ‘no’, why not?
Eric BARRETT-PAYTON (Conservative Party) Yes - It should be of crucial concern in all activities
Alexandra COLLIS (Labour Party) We all, elected officials included, have to respond to climate change as an emergency. There is no other choice – we are already fast running out of time to address what is probably the most pressing issue of our age. Local authorities should be leading the way here.
David CORN (UKIP) No. Climate change is a global phenomenon and action at council level is inappropriate.
The build up of CO2 has been continuing for 250 years or more and cannot be reversed in a short period. It will take a similar number of centuries to even reach an equilibrium let alone reverse it.
Angela DITCHFIELD (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Luke HALLAM (Liberal Democrat) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Kevin PRICE (Labour Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Ewan REDPATH (Liberal Democrat) Yes, I definitely agree that elected officials at all levels of government should respond to climate change as an emergency. We can already see its effects and there is very little time left to act if we are going to avert very severe levels of warming. This will require elected officials to show leadership and ambition, not wait around for national governments to find a solution.
Benedict SMITH (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Question 2
Do you support the setting of a net zero carbon target for the city of Cambridge? If ‘Yes’ when do you think we should be aiming for Cambridge to be net zero carbon? If ‘no’, why not?
Eric BARRETT-PAYTON (Conservative Party) Yes - How soon would have to be examined urgently
Alexandra COLLIS (Labour Party) Absolutely. I 100% support the setting of a net zero carbon target for Cambridge and want to see us aiming to achieve this by 2030. I fully support the city council’s ambition towards this and look forward to them working closely with local campaigners on how we achieve this. There is genuine political and public will on all sides to achieve this ambitious target – and if not now, then when? It’ll be too late if we leave it any longer.
David CORN (UKIP) No. A conurbation will always produce more CO2 than a rural area and we share the atmosphere with the rest of the planet.
Angela DITCHFIELD (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Luke HALLAM (Liberal Democrat) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Kevin PRICE (Labour Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Ewan REDPATH (Liberal Democrat) Climate change should be treated as an emergency and because of that I want the council to be carbon neutral by 2030. Some councils have already become carbon neutral and others have adopted the 2030 target. Cambridge shouldn’t lag behind and that’s why Liberal Democrats on the council tried to pass a motion which would have set a 2030 target. I think it’s regrettable that that motion was amended to 2050 by Labour councillors.
Benedict SMITH (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Question 3
Cambridge City Council is a central organisation in Cambridge. What do you think its role is in local leadership in relation to climate action? What specific additional actions in relation to climate change do you support the City Council doing in the coming 12 months?
Eric BARRETT-PAYTON (Conservative Party) Their role is to be an example of best practice. There should be immediate investigation of what measures could be undertaken as soon as possible
Alexandra COLLIS (Labour Party) The city council has to lead the way on this. Although their emissions represent a very small percentage of the city’s overall carbon footprint, they have to lead by example and carry other stakeholders with them (such as businesses). Nobody is suggesting this will be easy, but it is a set of issues we must tackle for the future of Cambridge.
The council has made significant progress so far (for example, cutting its own carbon emissions by 15% since 2016) and is due to reduce it by 20% next year. They plan to invest in further carbon reduction projects and continue to cut emissions from their buildings.
They also recently declared a climate emergency, and will lobby other stakeholders such as Government, the County Council, Cambridge companies, industry and regulators, whose input is needed to help achieve our ambitious targets. Local campaigners, who have offered to assist in this process, should also be an integral part of the work.
A major factor will be the council’s intention to declare a Cambridge Climate Charter, which sets out the practical steps towards Cambridge becoming a zero carbon city by 2030 and will call on all organisations, businesses and individuals to commit to reducing their carbon emissions and establish their own Carbon Management Plans. There are also plans, which have my full support, to declare a biodiversity emergency at the council’s AGM in May. This is vital in order to protect vulnerable species. It should be embedded in all that we do – for example, any planned developments must achieve a net biodiversity gain.
All councillors should, as a matter of course, receive training from Cambridge Carbon Neutral so that they are fully aware of the issues and potential solutions, and can embed them in their thinking.
We need to invest in more sustainable transport, such as cycling routes and ‘greenways’, cleaner taxis and buses and the new Cambridge South station (as well as improvements to Cambridge station). Connectivity improvements and cutting congestion are key to tackling air pollution and carbon emissions and making journeys into and around the city more reliable and efficient. Put simply, we must have fewer cars coming into the city especially at peak times. To achieve that there will need to be considerable investment in bus and public transport services. I would also want to see us seriously considering the option of a Cambridge Clean Air zone.
Lastly, as a result of my professional experience in food waste charities (I previously worked for FoodCycle and was a board member of Cambridge Sustainable Food when they achieved Cambridge’s bronze Sustainable Cities award), I have a particular interest in this area of the city council’s work and hope to have the opportunity to contribute to achieving silver status. Cambridge is already leading the way on this, and there is huge potential to achieve great things.
David CORN (UKIP) None.
Angela DITCHFIELD (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Luke HALLAM (Liberal Democrat) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Kevin PRICE (Labour Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Ewan REDPATH (Liberal Democrat) I think that the city council has a responsibility to take the lead when it comes to tackling climate change and to be ambitious in inspiring everyone in Cambridge, including other organisations to take ownership of this problem and find solutions. I think the council should review its climate strategy, improve provision for charging electric vehicle to encourage their adoption, as well as taking other measures and challenging the government to give the council more powers and resources to the council for tackling climate change.
Benedict SMITH (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Question 4
Green spaces and trees remove carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the atmosphere, provide shade, help reduce flooding and often contribute to a feeling of well being. Would you support a more ambitious tree planting programme in Cambridge city? Also, suggestions have been made recently to create new areas of woodland around Cambridge. Would you support ambitious tree planting programmes around Cambridge city?
Eric BARRETT-PAYTON (Conservative Party) Yes - Tree planting in and around Cambridge (and anywhere else) always has my strongest support
Alexandra COLLIS (Labour Party) We are incredibly lucky in Kings Hedges with the green, open spaces that we have, and these should continue to be protected as far as possible and balanced against other needs such as housing. The Labour city council has an excellent and ambitious tree-planting programme, and I would want to see this not only continue but be extended even further. This needs to remain an integral part of their overall environmental strategy, not only to encourage health and well-being but also to tackle the biodiversity emergency discussed above.
David CORN (UKIP) Yes. To do it properly, you would have to scrap having empty green spaces being used for fairgrounds and fireworks which are all adding to unnecessary CO2 emissions.
Angela DITCHFIELD (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Luke HALLAM (Liberal Democrat) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Kevin PRICE (Labour Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Ewan REDPATH (Liberal Democrat) Yes, I definitely think that we need a more ambitious tree-planting in Cambridge for a whole range of reasons. I think that there should be a target to increase the number of trees on land which the council manages as well as using the opportunities of new development to increase green spaces. Liberal Democrat councillors have insisted on the creation of country parks for developments which have taken places around Cambridge like Clay Farm and Trumpington Meadows and I think that is an idea to be supported a replicated.
Benedict SMITH (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Question 5
Finally, do you know the size of your own Carbon Footprint? Can you identify one thing you’d like to change but haven’t yet managed to move your own carbon footprint towards zero carbon?
Eric BARRETT-PAYTON (Conservative Party) My precise carbon footprint is unknown to me, but I do consider it in my activities. I am keen to recycle, volunteer at Cambridge Re Use, walk rather than drive when possible, and would hope to be able to take up cycling to reduce driving as soon as health allows
Alexandra COLLIS (Labour Party) I have calculated my Carbon Footprint at 6.45, well below the UK average of 13.4 but above the world average of 4 – and certainly not near enough the 1.5 estimated for sustainability.
The biggest factors in achieving this have been giving up my car, switching to a vegan diet, eating much more locally produced food (e.g. shopping for veggies at the local market), and minimising my food waste. My professional background has been in sustainable food and food waste production, which has been a considerable influence on my day to day habits. Also, for longer journeys I always use public transport.
David CORN (UKIP) No. Individual carbon footprints are meaningless. There are too many diverse services and circumstances to give it meaning.
Angela DITCHFIELD (Green Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Luke HALLAM (Liberal Democrat) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Kevin PRICE (Labour Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire
Ewan REDPATH (Liberal Democrat) I have a carbon footprint of 14.3 tonnes, which I know is much to high. A lot of this is down to having taken long-distance flights and in future I want to offset my flights. I have been a vegetarian for almost ten years now, in part because of the environmental impact of the meat industry. I also cycle and walk everywhere in Cambridge and take the train when I travel further than that.
Benedict SMITH (Conservative Party) This candidate did not respond to the questionnaire