Lib Dem Councillor Slams Sefton Council’s Efforts on Carbon Reduction

Cambridge ward Lib Dem Councillor Mike Sammon has slammed Sefton Council’s performance on reducing carbon and ultimately saving council taxpayers money at a recent Council meeting.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on Sefton Council to show foresight, stop missing opportunities, and make smart investments that save energy, cut costs and deliver real benefits for residents

A report detailing the annual progress of carbon reduction across the borough was put before council this Thursday. While the report outlines some actions taken when it comes to decarbonising council buildings and making lighting more efficient , Cllr Sammon highlighted that action is not being taken as quickly as it should be.

Independent evidence from the Climate Action Scorecard shows that Sefton’s overall score is just 32%, placing it firmly in the bottom third of councils in the country.  The council scored zero in several key areas, including:

·Recycling and cutting household waste

·Setting a target to decarbonise all council buildings

·Requiring new builds to go beyond minimum efficiency standards

·Banning pesticides on council managed land

·Including climate change as a risk

Cllr Sammon also criticised the Council’s decision to spend £450,000 replacing gas boilers at Dunes Splashworld, the borough’s single biggest energy user, without following the recommendations of a decarbonisation audit for the building.

Cllr Mike Sammoncommented: “The Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 yet this report only details modest improvements and actions. The failure to take more action up to now means higher bills for residents, poorer air quality and greater flood risk. It’s worrying that Sefton are lagging so far behind other councils on this.”

John Pugh, Liberal Democrat Council leader,added:  “Residents are being asked to foot a £450,000 bill for new boilers at Splashworld while the renewable energy already available nearby and on site is standing idle. That is a huge missed opportunity and poor value for money.”