The following text is the exact wording of the budget amendment the Green Party have submitted to the Liverpool City Council budget, which will be debated and voted on, on Wednesday 6th March 2019.
The Green Party propose the creation of a £120m Climate Emergency Fund as part of a Climate Emergency Budget.
This will be spent on measures to kick start Liverpool’s Green revolution. The £120 million pounds will be borrowed in 4 instalments of £30m per year.
In 2019/20 this fund will be created by redirecting £20m from the Highways Investment Fund, leaving £10m for the most urgent repairs. An additional £10m will be borrowed at a revenue cost of £525k. This revenue cost will be met by reducing the Mayoral City Fund to £50,000, making a saving of £450,000. The remaining £75,000 will be met by targeting savings from flights and hotels (excluding children’s’ and adults’ services), furniture expenditure (excluding welfare and benefits) and the Mayor’s office.
In future years the full £30m will be taken directly from the highways investment program, leaving £13-15m in that budget for the most urgent repairs.
The 2019/20 Climate Emergency Fund will be spent on:
£5m installing renewable energy sources on all appropriate council property, and investigate the feasibility of roll out to other properties via low interest loans.
£4m to establish a council owned subsidiary to Foundations focused solely on environmental retrofit of existing housing stock in Liverpool, across all sectors according to priorities of reducing energy use and fuel poverty.
£4m seed funding to enable the establishment of a commercial scale operation removing carbon from the atmosphere.
£12m on reallocation of road space from private, motorised traffic to cycling, public transport and pedestrians, with a focus on beginning on key strategic routes.
£2m on electric car charging points.
£2m improving pedestrian crossings.
£1m on enhanced cycle storage and facilities
Priorities will be evaluated each year to ensure the Climate Emergency Fund delivers the maximum emission reductions possible within budget.
In future years, revenue funding will be required to support the objectives of the Climate Emergency plan, which will be detailed in future motions and budget setting processes.
£2m of the Capital Flexibility fund will be earmarked for the establishment of a Council run pilot car club scheme, and a study into potential road pricing schemes that could be implemented in Liverpool.
As part of Liverpool’s Green Revolution, Cllrs will be encouraged to make positive behaviour change via a Sustainable Transport Fund.
The Sustainable Transport Fund will be created through the deletion of free parking for Cllrs. The saving of £30,000 per annum will be spent on a Member’s Sustainable Transport Fund, which will assist Cllrs on transitioning away from car dependency with the provision of free or subsidised public transport, free bicycles or bicycle hire, or other subsidisation or advice to enable them to carry out their duties without relying on private motorised transport. The constitution will need to be amended accordingly.
