Wiltshire still doing badly on pollution

In a report to the Environment Committee Wiltshire Council officers have admitted that the authority is still performing atrociously when it comes to reducing CO2 pollution. However they say they hope to do better in future.

Pollution league tables soon to be published are likely to show the county as being amongst the worst-performing councils, and huge fines will continue to be paid under the government's Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme.

To improve the position an officer has been appointed to work with schools to improve their energy efficiency, and the council also hopes that its programme of demolishing old energy-hungry council buildings and putting up new ones will help. A budget of £3.5million over the next five years has been set aside to attempt to improve the situation.

However because of the lack of urgency shown by the Conservative administration - many of whom don't believe in climate change and have an instinctive aversion to pollution control - Wiltshire will still get fined. The £600,000 fine for the current year will have to be paid again in 2012/13. It will go up to £700,000 for the following year and will escalate to £800,000 in 2014/15, unless in the meantime the people of Wiltshire decide to elect a more environmentally aware council in 2013.

For the full report see http://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=5780&T=10