Nationwide review sees RBWM environmental policies ranked below average

The Royal Borough’s environmental policies have come under the microscope after a nationwide review of councils ranked it below average in several categories.

Climate Emergency UK, a climate advocate charity, used scorecards to analyse all UK councils on the actions each had taken to achieve net zero emissions.

Seven categories were analysed: buildings and heating, planning and land use, governance and finance, collaboration and engagement, waste reduction and food, biodiversity and transport.

Of these, the charity scored RBWM poorly for transport and biodiversity.

Cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity, Councillor Karen Davies said working to improve future scores was a ‘top priority’.

She said: “We know there is more we can do with local partners around sustainability. This is my top priority as new Cabinet member for climate and biodiversity.

“We all have a part to play and we want to be a borough where the community works together to achieve a sustainable future.”

The borough received a score of two per cent in the transport category which took into account progress it had made towards promoting public transport and cleaner air.

This score was against an average of 22 per cent.

The issue of clean air has been the subject of debate with air quality assessments used in the inception of the Borough Local Plan under criticism.

On biodiversity, the borough was marked on points including its use of pesticides on council owned and managed land, and whether a biodiversity net gain was required in new developments.

It scored just 15 per cent, below the nationwide average score of 27 per cent.

However, the borough did perform better in the collaboration and engagement category and Cllr Davies advised she had already met with environmental groups to discuss the results.

Cllr Davies said there was ‘great environmental work already happening’ and highlighted initiatives including solar panels, recycling and active travel.

There was also an acknowledgement the scorecard analysis didn’t ‘fully capture’ the work of the council.

She pointed to a Biodiversity Action Plan developed in partnership with environmental groups, in addition to the planting of more than 20,000 trees and the education provided to young people at Braywick Nature Centre.

Wild Maidenhead chair, Maria Evans, said: “Wild Maidenhead was disappointed that after declaring a Biodiversity and Climate Emergency back in 2020 our Borough failed to score more than 15 per cent in this important assessment.

“We are pleased that the council's lead member for biodiversity and climate change has engaged with us and is keen to take positive action on a range of issues highlighted in the Council Climate Scorecards.

“We will continue to hold the council to account because it will take all of us working together to reverse the decline in biodiversity and help nature recovery in our area."

More information on the scorecards can be found at: councilclimatescorecards.uk.