The row comes as Wiltshire and much of England experiences another spell of exceptionally hot weather, prompting renewed debate about climate resilience and the role of local councils in responding to environmental challenges.
Both parties oppose plans to abolish the Build a Greener Swindon Policy and Performance Committee, but they have set out different reasons for wanting it to remain.
Labour has launched a public petition calling on residents to support the committee. The party points to the council’s Corporate Risk Register, which identifies failure to achieve a net zero borough by 2050 as a significant strategic risk affecting every department.
According to the register, failing to prepare for the transition to net zero could weaken strategic decision making, increase costs and damage the council’s reputation. Labour argues this makes independent public scrutiny more important.
Jane Milner-Barry, who chaired the committee when it was established, said:
“The council’s first duty is to ensure the present and future wellbeing and safety of Swindon residents. This means taking climate change seriously. We also have recent direct experience of how extreme heat depresses the town’s economy and are now entering another week of intense heat.
“It’s about ensuring there continues to be dedicated public scrutiny of one of the council’s own strategic priorities. When the council’s risk register recognises environmental performance as a corporate risk affecting every part of the council, maintaining transparent oversight is simply good governance.
“With more heatwaves on the way, now isn’t the time for the council to be ignoring this as an issue and removing a key public space for conversations about such an important challenge facing us all.”
Supporters of the petition say the committee has scrutinised the council’s Decarbonisation Framework, reviewed major infrastructure proposals and monitored progress against environmental commitments already adopted by the authority.
The petition is due to remain open until 12th August.
The Green Party has also objected to the proposal, but has argued the committee should be replaced with a stronger alternative rather than retained in its current form.
In a letter to Cabinet Member for Strategy, Resilience and Green Infrastructure Councillor Matt Chandler, Green Party co-chairs Andy Bentley and Repi Begum said recent extreme weather demonstrated the need for stronger environmental leadership.
They said:
“This is not a party political matter, these events will only get more frequent and more severe. Strong action and leadership is needed now.”
Bentley and Begum have pointed to what they described as missed opportunities, including the lack of a spending report on a £2 million electric vehicle charging grant more than two years after it was awarded, concerns over tree planting figures, limited progress on housing retrofit recommendations and a lack of continued scrutiny of Thames Water following questions about sewage treatment.
They added:
“The committee was seen as an opportunity to deliver green policies for the people of Swindon.
“Although it failed to live up to its full potential, we are seriously concerned that removing the committee without a significant replacement will lead to environmental policies being completely ignored by SBC.”
The Green Party has asked the council to explain what arrangements will replace the committee and how environmental policies will continue to receive public scrutiny.
Swindon Borough Council has previously said the proposed changes form part of wider governance reforms. At the time of publication, the council had not publicly responded to Labour’s petition or the Green Party’s letter.
