To consider the report.

Chris Joyce introduced the report. In December 2018, a motion was passed at Full Council that as part of the process, this was incorporated into the environment climate strategy. Chris Joyce thanked Paul Hinton and Jess Reid who had played a really important part in pulling together and driving forward the strategy which was endorsed by Cabinet in December at the same time as the adoption of the climate strategy.

Councillor Del Campo thanked Plastic free Windsor for their work with the strategy.

Councillor Del Campo commented that there was no specific budget in the proposed budget but the process should begin to look at low cost ways to start implementing aspects of the strategy. A good start would be to set up refill stations at the town hall in Maidenhead and at the Guildhall in Windsor. Councillor Del Campo suggested that Cabinet was asked for an implementation timetable and ask Cabinet to prioritise ideas such as the refill stations, which were both low cost and easy to implement. Chris Joyce reassured the Panel that as part of the delivery planning that was being done for the overall environmental climate strategy, all actions from the plastic free strategy were being included and built into the five year delivery plan for the environmental climate strategy. Chris Joyce informed the Panel that he would be discussing with Paul Hinton on what actions to prioritise.

Councillor Price asked Paul Hinton to inform the Panel about the recent award that they had received as it was something to celebrate.

Councillor Davey saluted Paul Hinton for being persistent and not taking no for an answer.

Paul Hinton thanked everyone for their kind comments. Paul Hinton continued to inform the Panel that they were an extension of the marine conservation charity, surfers against sewage. About three years ago, they set up a plastic free community campaign whereby communities up and down the country could engage in achieving five introductory objectives to become a plastic free community. There were 700 communities working towards the same award and just over 100 communities who had achieved it. On 21 December, Paul Hinton was informed that he had joined that group of communities and of the hundred, Windsor was in the top twenty in terms of size of community. Windsor was one of the largest communities to have got the award. The awards demonstrated that the Windsor campaign was sustainable and as a result the objectives pass from the charity to a steering committee. Councillors Stimson, Rayner and Lynne Jones were on the steering committee setting the direction and pace for the campaign. The award also recognised that this was a community campaign involving Windsor schools, businesses, community organisations and the council.

Councillor Stimson thanked Paul Hinton as an integral part of the development of the environmental climate change strategy and for being a solid supporter all the way through.

Councillor Del Campo asked that the comments of this discussion went to Cabinet. Chris Joyce informed the Panel that the report had already been endorsed by Cabinet and Chris Joyce would continue to update the Panel with regular reports on the delivery.

The Chairman asked if the strategy was boroughwide and Chris Joyce confirmed that it was aplastic free strategy for the borough.

Councillor Rayner was very proud that Plastic Free Windsor had received the award and to have been a part of it.

Councillor Davey asked that since the council had adopted the strategy, what had individual councillors signed up to? Was there a model that could be followed by councillors? This was left with Paul Hinton to think about.

Councillor Davies informed the Panel that Plastic Free Windsor did have an action plan that could be sent to the Panel.

ACTION: Action plan to be sent to the Panel by Councillor Davies.