Environment and Sustainability Committee
Decisions taken at the meeting held on Thursday, 18 September 2025.
Meeting Time:
7.00 pm
Meeting Venue:
Council Chamber, Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines-upon-Thames TW18 1XB
PRESENT: Councillor Malcolm Beecher (Chair), Councillor Kathy Grant (Vice-Chair), Councillor Simon Bhadye, Councillor Mary Bing Dong, Councillor Tony Burrell, Councillor Jolyon Caplin, Councillor Darren Clarke, Councillor Sue Doran, Councillor Anant Mathur, Councillor Joanne Sexton, Councillor John Turner, Councillor Howard Williams and Councillor Paul Woodward
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4. Update to Climate Change Working Group Terms of Reference* |
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The Committee resolved to:
1. Approve the change in name of the ‘Climate Change Working Group’ to the ‘Climate and Nature Working Group’,
2. Approve the Revised Terms of Reference as outlined in Appendix A of the report; and
3. Refer the report to the Standards Committee to make a recommendation to Council for adoption in the Constitution
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5. Biodiversity Duty* |
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The Committee resolved to:
1. Approve the Biodiversity Duty Report and Action Plan,
2. Agree for the Biodiversity Officer to regularly update the Climate and Nature Working Group on progress relating to Biodiversity Duty; and
3. Approve delegated authority to the Group Head of Neighbourhood Services to publish a progress report by March 2026 in consultation with the Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee.
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6. The Spelthorne Borough Council (Off-Street Parking Places Order) Amendment No.3) Order 2026 |
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The Committee resolved to make a recommendation to Council to:
1. Authorise the Group Head Neighbourhood Services to proceed with the proposals made in this report and to implement the Spelthorne Borough Council Off-street Parking Places (Amendment No. 3) Order 2026,
2. Authorise the Group Head Corporate Governance to publish all notices required to implement the Spelthorne Borough Council Off-street Parking Places (Amendment No. 3) Order 2026; and
3. Authorise the Group Head Neighbourhood Services, in consultation with the Group Head Corporate Governance, to consider and address any objections and to amend the proposal if necessary, following the public consultation.
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7. Updates from Task and Finish and/or Working Groups |
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The Committee resolved to note the updates. |
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8. Forward Plan |
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The Committee resolved to note the Forward Plan. |
NOTES:-
(1) Members are reminded that the “call-in” procedure as set out in Part 4b of the Constitution, shall not apply to the following matters:
(a) Urgent decisions as defined in Paragraph 9. of the Call-in Scrutiny Procedure Rules;
(b) Decisions to award a contract following a lawful procurement process;
(c) Those decisions:
i. reserved to full Council
ii. on regulatory matters
iii. on member conduct issues.
(2) Those matters to which Note (1) applies, if any, are identified with an asterisk [*] in the above Minutes.
(3) Within three working days of the date on which this decision is published, not less than three members from two or more political groups by submission of the standard call-in pro-forma, may ask for that decision to be referred to a meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee for review (call-in). The completed pro-forma must be received by the Proper Officer by 5pm three working days after publication of the decision.
(4) The members exercising the right of call-in must not be members of the Committee which considered the matter.
(5) When calling in a decision for review the members doing so must demonstrate the following exceptional circumstances:
a. Evidence which suggests that the decision maker, did not take the decision in accordance with the principles set out in Article 11 (Decision Making); or
b. Evidence that the decision fails to support one or more of the Council’s Corporate Plan priorities to the detriment of the majority of the Borough’s residents; or
c. Evidence that explicit Council Policy or legal requirements were disregarded.
(6) Once the request for ‘call-in’ has been deemed valid by the Monitoring Officer the matter will be suspended until the call-in procedure has been exhausted.
(7) The Chief Executive, in consultation with the relevant officer, will determine if the interests of the Council or Borough would be prejudiced by a delay in implementing a decision such that the call-in cannot wait until the next ordinary meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.
(8) Where the call-in cannot wait until the next ordinary meeting, the Monitoring Officer will arrange an extraordinary meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to review the decision subject to call-in at the earliest possible opportunity.
(9) In exceptional cases, where there is clear evidence that a delay to the implementation of a decision would lead to a specific and significant financial or reputational harm to the Council, a call-in request may be refused by the Chief Executive following consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.
(10) In reviewing a matter referred to it under the call-in scrutiny procedure rules, the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee shall follow the procedure for dealing with call-in scrutiny at its meetings as set out in Part 4b of the Constitution.
(11) The deadline of three working days for "call in" in relation to the above decisions by the Committee is the close of business on Wednesday 24 September 2025.