Committee Report Checklist 

 

Please submit the completed checklists with your report. If final draft report does not include all the information/sign offs required, your item will be delayed until the next meeting cycle. 

 

Stage 1

Report checklist – responsibility of report owner 

ITEM	Yes / No	Date
Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing	Yes	18/06/26
Relevant Group Head review	Yes	10/07/26
MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2)	Yes
This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee	Yes	10/07/26
	Reviewed by
Finance comments (circulate to Finance)	BH	24/7/26
Risk comments (circulate to Lee O’Neil)
Legal comments (circulate to Legal team)	JC	06/08/26
HR comments (if applicable)

 

For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.

 

Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed. 

 

Stage 2

Report checklist – responsibility of report owner 

ITEM	Completed by	Date rec’d
Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT	L Heron	14/08/26
S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT	T.Collier	27/7/26
Commissioner engagement
	Delete as applicable:	No issues
		Comments in S. 7
Confirm final report cleared by MAT

 

 

Environment & Sustainability                           

 

10^th September 2026

Title	End of Year Greenhouse Gas & Green Horizon Programme End of FY 25/26 Reports
Purpose of the report	To Note (Briefing Pack)
Report Author	Arthur Stokhuyzen: Climate & Energy Lead
Ward(s) Affected	All Wards
Exempt	No
Corporate Priority	Resilience Environment Services
Recommendations	Committee is asked to: 1.    Note the Spelthorne Borough Council Greenhouse Gas Report Financial Year (FY) 2025/2026 2.    Note the Green Horizon Programme Progress Report FY 2025/2026
Reason for Recommendation	The Committee is asked to note the Spelthorne Borough Council Greenhouse Gas Report FY 2025/2026 and the Council’s reported emissions performance. The accompanying Green Horizon Programme Progress Report FY 2025/2026 is presented to provide an update on progress against the Council’s climate objectives. Together, these reports support informed decision-making on future climate action.

 

1.            Executive summary of the report (expand detail in Key Issues section below)

What is the situation	Why we want to do something
•      This report presents Spelthorne Borough Council’s Greenhouse Gas Report FY 2025/2026, and the Green Horizon Programme progress report FY 2025/2026. •      These reports outline emissions performance and delivery against the Council’s net zero target.	•      The Council must review and note its Greenhouse Gas Report to ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with its 2030 net zero commitment. This report will be published with a press release, whereas the Green Horizon report is for internal note. •      Despite progress, the Council remains off track against its decarbonisation pathway, requiring further action and oversight.
This is what we want to do about it	These are the next steps
•      To note the Greenhouse Gas Report and [TS1] [AS2] Green Horizon Programme progress report. •      Recognise both the progress made and the need to accelerate delivery in key areas such as fleet transition, low carbon heat, and infrastructure if the Council wants to meet its 2030 net zero target.	•      Proceeding the Committee, the Greenhouse Gas Report will be published on the website with an accompanying press release and communications. •      Noting the Green Horizon Programme progress report should outline the Council’s gaps to reaching net zero by 2030. •      Recognising that this will be the last annual Greenhouse Gas report of Spelthorne Borough Council and that future net zero ambitions will be set by West Surrey Council

 

2.            Key issues

2.1         The Spelthorne Borough Council Greenhouse Gas Report FY2025/2026 (Appendix A) and Green Horizon Programme Progress Update FY25/26 (Appendix B) highlight both measurable progress and significant challenges in delivering the Council’s net zero commitment.

2.2         Appendix A [TS3] provides the Council’s annual, externally reviewed emissions inventory, setting out total emissions, trends, and progress against the net zero target.

2.3         Appendix B sets out how the Council is delivering emissions reduction in practice. Tracking performance against assigned KPIs and assessing projects and progress across key workstreams

2.4         Net emissions have reduced to 873.39tCO2e[CT4]  (tonnes of CO2 equivalent) by[TS5]  16.72% compared to the previous year. This has primarily been driven by renewable electricity procurement, improved energy management and early programme interventions.

2.5         Despite this improvement, the Council remains off track against its decarbonisation pathway, with a current emissions gap of approximately 395.38tCO2e against the 2020 modelled level required to meet the 2030 net zero target. This demonstrates that while operational efficiencies and low-cost measures are effective, they are insufficient on their own to deliver the scale of emissions reduction required.

2.6         Delivery across the Green Horizon Programme is mixed, with strong performance in energy management and nature-based interventions. This includes full delivery of a renewable electricity tariff and tree planting exceeding targets.

2.7         However, key areas such as fleet transition, EV infrastructure, and low-carbon heat remain behind trajectory, limiting the overall pace of emissions reduction.

2.8         A number of structural constraints are impacting delivery. These include financial pressures limiting capital investment, programme capacity and resourcing issues, procurement delays[TS6] [AS7] , and uncertainty associated with Local Government Reorganisation. These factors restrict the Council’s ability to scale up high-impact interventions such as fleet electrification and large-scale building decarbonisation.

2.9         The reports also highlight dependency on enabling infrastructure and systems, with delays in areas such as building management systems, HVO transition and a lack of EV infrastructure affecting programme performance. This reinforces the need for coordinated and strategic sequencing of projects to unlock future emissions reductions.

2.10      Looking forward, if ambition continues to achieve the 2030 target a step change in delivery is required. This will include moving beyond incremental improvements to accelerated implementation of capital-intensive interventions, [TS8] such as low-carbon heating and fleet electrification alongside continued optimisation of existing operations. These aspects may or may not be picked up in West Surrey Council depending on the new Council’s climate change ambitions.

2.11      The Green Horizon Programme recognises that Spelthorne Borough Council will cease to exist from April 2027 under Local Government Reorganisation. As such, investment and delivery within FY 2026/2027 is expected to be limited to existing allocations, with no significant new long-term commitments beyond this point.

2.12      The reports provide a robust evidence base and delivery framework that can be transitioned to the proposed West Surrey authority, ensuring continuity of decarbonisation activity. They also align with LGR principles around procurement and contract management, avoiding long-term commitments that may not transfer effectively while still enabling progress in the short term.

 

3.            Options appraisal and proposal

3.1         This report is only for review and to note, there are no options.

4.            Risk implications

4.1         The key risk associated with the reports is a strategic risk [TS9] that the Council remains off track to achieve its 2030 net zero target. This can be mitigated through continued delivery and acceleration of the Green Horizon Programme, with a focus on high-impact interventions such as fleet transition, low-carbon heat, and infrastructure investment. However, recognise limitations in delivery due to Local Government Reorganisation.

4.2         There are also operational risks, including programme capacity constraints and delays in infrastructure delivery, which may limit the pace of progress. These risks will be mitigated through improved programme governance and strengthened cross-service coordination.

4.3         A financial risk exists due to limited internal funding and reliance on external funding, which may constrain the ability to deliver large-scale decarbonisation projects. This will be managed by continuing to prioritise cost-effective measures, continuing to secure external funding opportunities and aligning investment with the highest carbon reduction impact.

4.4         Future increases in energy prices could reduce the financial savings achieved through current measures. Expanding the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency can help mitigate this market risk and provide greater cost certainty over the long term.

4.5         There is a reputational risk that failure to meet targets could undermine public and stakeholder confidence in the Council’s climate commitments. This is mitigated through transparent reporting, external assurance of emissions data and clear communication of both progress and challenges.

4.6         Finally, there is a legal and compliance risk associated with inaccurate or incomplete reporting; however, this is mitigated using recognised methodologies (GHG Protocol) and independent external assurance.

 

5.            Financial implications

5.1         The Green Horizon Programme reflects an early-stage investment profile, with upfront costs required to enable long-term emissions reduction and future cost savings. Total programme costs in FY 2025/2026 were £[AS10] 314,700 (rounded), with savings of £27,600 (rounded), [AS11] resulting in a net cost of £[HB12] [CT13] [AS14] 287,100 (rounded).

5.2         Delivery has been supported by a combination of external and internal funding. External funding totalled [TS15] £181,500 (rounded) [AS16] (from Shared[BN17]  Prosperity Fund and Trees Outside Woodland Fund), [AS18] significantly reducing the financial burden on the Council, while internal spend was £133,300 (rounded), [AS19] focused on key enabling projects such as EV infrastructure and building optimisation.

 

Category	Cost/Saving	Type	Money (rounded)
Total Programme Spend	Cost	EV Transition	£169,400
		EV Infrastructure	£96,000[AS20]
		Planting Trees	£14,[AS21] 100
		Green Electricity Tariff	£4,600
		Hydromx Pilot Project	£10,[AS22] 200
		Assets Decarbonisation	£20,400
	Savings	Electricity	-£15,400
		Gas	-£2,900
		Fleet Fuel	-£9,300
		Total	£287,[AS23] 100

 

5.3         Savings were achieved through reductions in energy and fuel use, including electricity, gas and fleet operations, demonstrating the financial benefits of operational efficiency measures already implemented.

5.4         Overall, while financial savings remain modest relative to current investment, the programme is establishing the infrastructure and systems required for long-term cost avoidance and efficiency gains as delivery scales up. Further detailed financial information is provided in the Financial Summary section of Appendix B.

5.5         The methodology and structured approach to climate change emissions through the Green Horizon programme would provide a good basis for West Surrey to move forward on addressing climate change.[HB24] [AS25] 

6.            Legal comments

6.1         Whilst local authorities are not under a direct statutory obligation to report on their greenhouse gas emissions, they are required by government to measure and report on emissions from their own estates and operations.

6.2         The Climate Change Act 2008 places obligations on the government to engage local authorities in achieving national climate goals.

6.3         The Council has committed to achieving net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse emissions by 2030 as set out in the Greenhouse Gas Report.

6.4         To ensure transparency, accountability and alignment with this commitment the Council should note the Greenhouse Gas Report.

 

Corporate implications

 

7.            Commissioners’ comments

7.1       No issues.

 

8.            S151 Officer comments

8.1         As the report highlights there will be financial implications for West Surrey if it wishes to ensure that we stay on track for the 2030 net zero target as that will mean moving beyond incremental improvements to accelerated implementation of capital-intensive interventions, [ST26] such as low-carbon heating and fleet electrification alongside continued optimisation of existing operations which will require additional funding.

 

9.            Monitoring Officer comments

9.1         The Monitoring Officer confirms that the relevant legal implications have been taken into account.

 

10.         Procurement comments

10.1      There are no direct procurement implications arising from the noting of these reports. Any future contracts or capital projects will comply with the Council’s Contract Standing Orders and the Procurement Act 2023.

11.         Equality and Diversity

11.1      The proposals within this report have a neutral to positive impact on equality and diversity. The Green Horizon Programme supports improvements to public assets, environmental quality, and service delivery, which benefit all residents.

 

12.         Sustainability/Climate Change Implications

12.1      These reports directly support the Council’s Climate Emergency commitment and net zero target by setting out emissions performance and progress through the Green Horizon Programme. The programme delivers emissions reductions across buildings, fleet, and land use, while identifying the need to accelerate delivery to close the gap to the 2030 target.

 

13.         Other considerations

13.1      N/A

 

14.         Local Government Reorganisation Implications

14.1      The Green Horizon Programme recognises that Spelthorne Borough Council will cease to exist from April 2027 under Local Government Reorganisation. As such, investment and delivery within FY 2026/2027 is expected to be limited to existing allocations, with no significant new long-term commitments beyond this point.

14.2      The reports provide a robust evidence base and delivery framework that can be transitioned to the proposed West Surrey authority, ensuring continuity of decarbonisation activity. They also align with LGR principles around procurement and contract management, avoiding long-term commitments that may not transfer effectively while still enabling progress in the short term.

 

15.         Timetable for implementation

15.1      September 2026: GHG Report Noting

15.2      Late September 2026: Press release and post on website

 

16.         Contact

16.1      Arthur Stokhuyzen: Climate & Energy Lead (A.Stokhuyzen@spelthorne.gov.uk) or Tim Snook: Sustainability & Resilience Lead (T.Snook@spelthorne.gov.uk)

 

Please submit any material questions to the Committee Chair and Officer Contact by two days in advance of the meeting.

 

Background papers: There are none.

 

Appendices:

 

Appendix A Spelthorne Borough Council Greenhouse Gas Report FY20252026

Appendix B Green Horizon Programme Progress Report FY20252026