Sandwell MBC emails re climate action

Dear Rajbir

Can you tell me what you make of this idea, please?

 

SUMMARY:

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION with councillors deciding, voting on Andy Street's £15 billion of greenhouse gas emissions to replace some buses and some trains with Metro "bus on rails" trams on railway tracks on roads.

 

MORE DETAIL:

I think all you councillors at Sandwell Council should take back control of transport from TfWM at 16 Summer Lane, in Birmingham.  Do you agree that you councillors should be telling the transport planners what you want done, after hearing what the 'experts' advise?

 

Would you consider and, discuss with Rajbir Singh, that all 72 members, after debate, should be given a free vote over Andy Street's plan for a £15 billion (of greenhouse gases) to 2040 plan for underground and overground Metro trams for 8 lines, 380 tram stops over 150 miles (press release in January 2020 for Metro Mayor election)?  Discussion, debate and vote are essential to get democratic authority for whatever the majority decides.

Dear Jane and Peter

I am very happy to have a Zoom/Teams meeting with Peter.  However, in the past and on every occasion, he has declined to accept a paper version of my concerns and also refused to speak to me when I politely attempted to elicit a response.  Again, now, no response from Peter.  Perhaps, I could meet with both Peter and Rajbir via Teams - and your new Chief Executive?

Here is something I have just written that is extremely important:

"We are screwed, snookered but we must continue the fight and be frugal finite fossil fuel users.

"Andy N, at last night's COP 26 mtg wrote, over the success of the Montreal Protocol, "fossil fuels is a massive chunk of the world economy. much harder to get movement."

"He's right but it's worse than that!  Every time we turn the COLD tap on we are dependant on finite fossil fuels (fff) that in their use, every time, is yet another tiny screw in rising global av surface temps to bring the climate catastrophe we're seeing.  Fff pump water to our homes.

"Although we are very slowly expanding renewable sources of energy that are much less dependant on fff, every £ we spend uses fff a lot along the line. That is why we have to spend ONLY on projects that will cut fff and their attendant greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) urgently.  Not HS2, Metro, Sprint, armaments, WMD, new yacht Britannia, investments in fff exploitation, Nature turned into concrete, brick and tarmac ... "

Best wishes

Tim 

Dear Mr Weller

 

Your email to the Leader, Cllr Rajbir Singh, has been passed to me to respond to you.

 

I would explain that I hold the role of Cabinet Advisor with the portfolio of ‘Clean & Green’/Climate Change, and in that role, I can formulate and suggest new Policies but am not in a position to agree new Policy, which is the role of the Leader and Cabinet Members.

 

I would make the following observations on your email:

 

1. Although loosely included under the heading ‘Andy Street's £15 billion Plan for greenhouse gas emissions’, the text of your email almost all relates to Transport Policy, which is why I have copied in the Cabinet Member responsible for this portfolio, Cllr Jackie Taylor, who will no doubt have greater awareness of the Transport Infrastructure in Sandwell, and its’ links within the WMCA area. She may wish to comment further on your suggestions. I have also copied in the Officer responsible for Planning Policy, Mr Andy Miller, who may also wish to provide you with his perspective on the ideas that you are proposing.

 

2. In your email, you are suggesting to Cllr Singh that all Councillors have the opportunity to debate  the motion that you are putting forward, presumably at Full Council. However, before this is done, the Motion needs to be considered, discussed and agreed/refused by the Labour Group for inclusion on the Full Council Agenda. I have therefore forwarded your email to the Labour Group Secretary, and asked her to include it on the agenda for the next Labour Group Meeting on 11^th October 2021.

 

I trust that this information is of assistance to you.

 

Yours sincerely

Peter Hughes

Cllr Peter Hughes BA [Hons], MBA, ACIH

Cabinet Advisor – ‘Clean & Green’/Climate Change

Wednesbury North Ward

Dear Peter

Thank you so much for this encouraging email.  Especially, if you talk with your Combined Authority colleagues - members and officers - for united action.

I want to underline the urgency of action over reducing expenditure on the wrong things and increasing it on what will reduce greenhouse gases in the medium to long term.  We are totally addicted, indeed locked into coal, gas and oil expenditure - and even more exploration and investment that must stop.  This is why greenhouse gas emissions are inevitable, even with minimum expenditure.  Renewables and, being satisfied with less consumption, are our only salvation.

The top matter is to stop the foolish, irrational and inexplicable decision by TfWM to replace the forgotten Derby to Devon via Dudley principal, mainline railway with Metro trams on a total of 6.7 Kms over two nibble sized sections that will be a further incentive for Dudley and Sandwell residents to shop at Merry Hill instead of their own towns.  This decision can still be reversed.  Cancellation fees and the return of commuter, regional and freight trains, with stations, will still  be much cheaper than you all spending over half a billion pounds to reduce the capacity of the railway network in destroying the 120 Kms railway between Derby and Worcester via Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley.

The second matter is to regenerate your borough with a massive external and internal insulation programme for every building, followed by PV solar panels on every east, west and south-facing roofs.

The third matter is to stop demolishing, wasting buildings and all other assets.  Instead, to restore/refurbish if at all possible and, to future-proof them, as above.

With best wishes for urgent action.

Tim