A CAMPAIGNER has accused the Royal Borough Council of putting its green credentials “up for sale”.

Senior councillors of the Conservative-run local authority were under-fire for using funding from developers, who will build several homes in the borough, to fund the climate partnership board as part of the 2023/24 budget.

The council currently puts £100,000 into this board where it, along with businesses, wildlife groups, and other key stakeholders from strategies that will help decarbonise the Royal Borough and increase sustainability.

The board was formed last year but now the council wants to use carbon-offsetting funds that developers pay if their developments are not emission compliant. This is triggered through section 106, which is a legal agreement between the local authority and a developer.

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Paul Hinton from the RBWM Climate Emergency Coalition, which is an alliance of local groups to work with, and influence the council’s policies, said using developer funds feels like the council’s climate commitments were “up for sale”.

Speaking at the cabinet meeting on Thursday, February 9, Mr Hinton said: “The section 106 payments are meant to remedy the damage caused by development. In addition to, not instead of, projects through the climate partnership and/or the council.

“Ironically, this budget currently relies on development: one of the very activities that cause carbon emissions to reduce them.”

He also said the council should have used the £3.5m it got from the government funding settlement to fund the climate partnership board as climate change is one of the council’s top three priorities.

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Council leader Andrew Johnson (Con: Hurley & Walthams) said they could not “duck away” from other issues the local authority is facing, such as adult social care and children’s services pressures, but are “comfortable” that the section 106 funds will enable the board to continue its work.

Cllr Donna Stimson (Con: St Mary’s), lead member for climate action and sustainability added: “I fought very hard for what I thought was fair, but we work together as a cabinet and we have other conditions that we need to meet.

“We have statutory condition needs that we have to meet and I am very comfortable with this budget.

“One picks one’s battles and one can’t die on a principle. One has to be pragmatic about what is important.”