'Unaffordable' net zero targets scrapped by council

West Northamptonshire Council leader Mark Arnull said the meeting took five hours to conclude

Net zero targets have been scrapped by a Reform UK-led council because they are "unaffordable", its leader has said.

During a five-hour meeting, which was disrupted by the clean air campaign group 1,000 Voices, West Northamptonshire Council decided to change the authority's climate change targets.

Council leader Mark Arnull said it was "something we cannot afford, there was not budget, there's been no scope or plans".

"It's not a case of denying climate change, it's a case of being realistic with the public," he added.

Mr Arnull said he was "proud to be flying the flag" as one of the first councils to make the change.

Durham County Council, also run by Reform UK, became the first in England to scrap net zero targets - just a few hours before West Northamptonshire.

The cabinet meeting was briefly paused and moved into a different room after campaigners voiced their concerns

In 2022, the then Conservative-controlled council signed up to the UK100 Net Zero pledge, putting in place the targets for the authority, residents and businesses.

Dan Lister, leader of the Conservative group on West Northamptonshire Council, said their previous administration backed several environmental schemes, including electric buses and EV charging points, and drove investment to create high quality green jobs.

He said he was "disappointed" with the decision, which he said was "political ideology".

The leader of the Labour group and former MP Sally Keeble had previously said: "A whole community of climate change campaigners have had the rug pulled from under their feet."

'Unconscionable'

By law, the UK must stop adding to the total amount of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2050. This is known as "net zero".

Reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions globally is essential to limit global warming.

Mr Arnull said diesel vehicles were due to be delivered in Towcester, as an order was "already in place".

He told the BBC he had completed some "back of the fag packet maths" - but found the costs to turn the council's estate and fleet vehicles by 2030 did not add up.

"I'd be lying to the public if we said we could afford it but we would run the council into bankruptcy and it's not what I'm going to do," he said.

"It's not a case of denying climate change, it's a case of being realistic with the public."

The council would look at converting its fleet to bioethanol fuel that would be "much cheaper and more effective and could be run on waste generated in the county", he added.

Dave Pearson, co-chair of the West Northants Green Party, said: "It's just unconscionable that we should even consider not going as hard and fast as we can to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we're putting into the atmosphere."

Mark Arnull said the council would now look at what schemes could work that would bring in "meaningful financial results"