Councillor Simon Grover, leader of the Green & Independent group on St Albans District Council, has highlighted serious concerns about the Council’s commitment to tackling the climate emergency in a speech delivered at the budget-setting meeting of the Council.
While acknowledging some positive changes resulting from committee scrutiny, Cllr Grover expressed alarm over several issues, including growing budget gaps for future years, low reserves, service reductions (including public toilet closures and cuts to community grants), and insensitive implementation of increased charges that fail to consider vulnerable residents.
Cllr Grover particularly emphasized the disappointing progress on what was previously described as the administration’s “top priority” – fighting the climate emergency.
Citing a timely report from the Climate Change Committee published on February 26th, Cllr Grover noted that local government climate action remains “inconsistent and hindered by a lack of clarity on responsibilities, limited resources, and short-term funding” – a description that aptly characterizes St Albans’ situation.
Key Areas of Concern
Despite St Albans District Council pledging to reach net zero by 2030, critical areas of emissions reduction remain neglected:
- Transport: As the district’s largest source of emissions (36% of the total carbon footprint), road transport emissions have barely decreased in over a decade. The Climate Emergency UK scorecard gave St Albans a concerning 3% rating for transport actions, reflecting a continued prioritization of road traffic over sustainable transport, failure to implement comprehensive cycling infrastructure, and unreliable public transport.
- Home Energy Efficiency: Over half of St Albans homes remain rated EPC D or lower, with 11,500 homes lacking adequate loft insulation and 12,400 needing cavity wall insulation. At the current pace, retrofitting the district’s housing stock will take decades, despite Friends of the Earth advising that at least 4,000 homes per year need insulation upgrades to meet targets.
- Heating: Progress on decarbonizing heating systems is particularly poor, with only around 240 heat pumps installed district-wide. The councillor called for investment in mass heat pump rollout and district heating schemes instead of continuing reliance on outdated, polluting gas systems.
- Planning Policy: The district’s planning framework received just 9% in the Climate Emergency UK rating for planning and land use, reflecting years without serious policies to mandate energy-efficient new builds, support renewables, or integrate low-carbon transport into development plans.
Not on Track for 2030 Target
Simon emphasized that St Albans is not on track to meet its Net Zero 2030 pledge, which required a 64% reduction in emissions by 2024/25. After five years, the council is already two years behind on aims to reduce corporate greenhouse gas emissions.
The current sustainability and climate crisis strategy was criticized for lacking urgency and measurable objectives, with emissions reductions so far largely coming from national energy grid decarbonization rather than bold local policies.
Greens have urged immediate prioritization of transport reform, home retrofitting, clean heating, and climate-conscious planning, warning that further delays will result in failure to meet the net zero commitment.