Local Authority Planning Departments will play a vital role in the race to get to Net Zero in time, and in protecting residents and businesses from every increasing extremes of weather, and also in reversing the extinction of UK species.

The immense power of planning consents

Planning Consents that they grant can impact up to 80% of Green House Gas (GHG or C) emissions in an area; 100% of our ability to survive, thrive, and prosper in extreme weather; and have a huge impact on whether species become extinct locally, regionally and nationally given that we are part of a connected ecosystem.

The use of land and the nature of buildings are key to these three issues, these three existential threats facing our children.

The extremes of weather are already causing tens of thousands of excess deaths and this is set to get worse as the weather becomes more extreme.

We have a short window of opportunity to get this right as the homes and offices we build today will be occupied in by our children for up to 50 years to come.

If politicians in Local Authorities do not act quickly and with sufficient ambition we will be condemning our children to poor living conditions, low-grade and expensive work environments and schools, poor educational achievement, poor earnings, price increases, poverty, sickness, suffering, lower life expectancy and unnecessary death.

Death in the thousands and tens of thousands each year for the UK alone which would equate to hundreds and thousands for your Council area.

Do you want this on your conscience?

A matter of ethical, moral, and professional responsibility

On Tuesday 24 January 2023, at Full Council, at the Town Hall in Maidenhead, I set out to encourage the Royal Borough of Windsor an Maidenhead to aim high, to aim to protect residents, children & adults, future office, shop and factory workers from the extremes of heat, cold, rain, snow and drought.

To protect them for the next 50 years that we will have to live and work in these buildings.

And not just to protect humans but to also put in place regulations that prevent the mass extinctions we are facing.

Remember we rely on Biodiversity and ecosystems for food, and agriculture, biofuels, as a carbon storage mass, to reduce temperature, to absorb extreme rainfall and, to renew our senses and well-being.

Yet we are facing levels of extinction not seen since the end of the age of the dinosaurs and comet chixiclub.

Here’s the resolution I proposed to the council

“Construction is a major UK activity using resources, emitting Green House Gasses, and affecting local Biodiversity and ecosystems. Buildings constructed today will continue to affect GHG Emissions and Biodiversity extinction for decades to come.

Today’s developments and development processes have the potential to help RBWM meet its Climate and Environmental obligations or to fail future generations and life on Earth.

This Council agrees to radically improve our processes in line with BLP Policies SP2, NR2 & NR3 and require that every planning application is accompanied by:

1. A biodiversity assessment measuring the impact on the fullness of biodiversity and biomass and targeting a high value of enhancement or creation (using TCND or the best practice then available), and
2. A Climate Change mitigation assessment incorporating measurement of the impact on Greenhouse Gas emissions including Scope 3 emissions as set out by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and targeting the highest level of mitigation.”

Who supported my call to create buildings fit for future purposes and, who voted against protecting our children?

Voting result

Full speech

Speech is given by Cllr. Wisdom Da Costa to the Full Council in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead on 24 January 2023. Full transcript at www.shorturl.at/buATU In his speech, he also notes that the narrow application of Biodiversity Net Gain by Planners and Developers is an oxymoron that shows a catastrophic failure of understanding, and results in the wilful destruction of total Biodiversity.

1. Greetings

Thank you Madam Mayor for permitting me to speak at this critical time, on this issue of ambition and achievement so vital for our children.

Members, thank you for listening and considering this opportunity ala Nigel Topping;

• To create Positive ambition loops to influence governments to go further and faster on climate action.
• To align ourself clearly with Paris’s 1.5C standards
• To place climate action at the heart of our intentions

For our children.

• Introduction & CTA

Remember Members, it is our job to set the ambition and aspirations, the policy, which then allow officers to enable achievement.

Low ambition = low achievement. An F.

This resolution seeks much higher levels of ambition for our children.

A The immense power and central of Planning Process

Over the next few years, our planning department will authorise £Billions of new development for large and small developers alike that will exist for 50+years each.

Members, our responsibilities as a planning authority define Development, land use.

• This can influence up to 80% of carbon emission for the next 50 years
• It can cause us to be aligned with Paris 1.5C or completely screw it up for our children
• It can stimulate a vibrant local, circular economy, providing jobs for our children or kill local businesses stone dead.
• Our planning regulations can protect residents from the impact of extreme heat (40C – 45C) and drought, cold (-10 to -20C), extreme rain and flooding predicted by our MetOffice or we can cause our residents to suffer and die
  • Extra illnesses and increased morbidity
  • Thousands of Excess heat and cold deaths predicted which are happening as we speak
  • Reduction in productivity
  • Reduction in earnings
  • Increased fuel costs
  • Permanently lower education achievement of our children
• It can stimulate a recover in our ecosystems and protect food production in the UK or, it can contribute to UK Biodiversity Extinction as warned by RSPB and others, and so food shortages and cost increases

Our planning process has immense power to achieve success, or significant failure for our children.

B Understanding how Biodiversity works and it’s crucial role in serving humanity

Let me for a moment give you a clearer understanding of Biodiversity and it’s radical importance.

We all understand Maslov’s Hierarchy of needs and how, if you don’t get the basics right, none of the rest is possible.

This is a simplified biodiversity hierarchy;

Remember: Each lower level needs to be 1000’s time bigger to sustain the level above

• Top – Humans and apex predators (carnivores and omnivores) – who each each other and Row 2
• Row 2 – Primary consumers – Herbivores such sheep, & cows eat Row 3
• Row 3 – Producers – plants, trees, bushes, chlorophyllic species depend Row 4

Yes there is a row 4 and row 5

• Row 4 – Decomposers – bacteria and fungi the recycle nutrients to the soil – who rely on Row 6
• Row 5 – Habitat & soil, in volume, to sustain humans and life on Earth

Limiting the habitat limits the availability of food and reduces prospects and wellbeing for our children.

Hopefully you will see Biodiversity Net Gain in a new light. It is an oxymoron which shows a catastrophic failure of understanding, and results in a wilful destruction of total Biodiversity.

Fret not: Habitat can be horizontal or vertical and solutions are available through other local authorities and organisations around the world.

But set the ambition for success. Not for failure for our children.

• Resolution – keys

Members, I want you to tell our children that you understand the future we will cause them to face.

Members, I want you to show our children your commitment to them by voting for this resolution to increase the ambition levels in this key segment of our Council

• radically improve our processes – and continually improve them
• include a biodiversity assessment – cognisant of the Biodiversity Hierarchy and food webs
• include a Climate Change mitigation assessment – to protect residents and workers from extreme heat, cold, drought and precipitation
• Employ the best practice then available, and targeting the highest level of mitigation – keeping up to date with fast moving climate tipping points
• Benefits

The Benefits are clear, buildings that are fit for purpose, with zero carbon emissions, that protect residents, and increased habitat and biodiversity.

To enable a safer future, better health, better learning, better productivity, better opportunities, lower costs than others, lower suffering and death. Better times for our children

• Dangers

The dangers of not voting for this resolution, at this critical time, of not grasping the is increased suffering, death, and poverty that you will cause for our children. A barren apocalyptic future.

• Closing Call To Action

I’d like to propose the resolution as set out in your Council papers

Please vote for this resolution that raises ambition to prompt achievement, at a critical time, for future success for our children.