What changes? South Tyneside Council has formally revoked the borough's 2019 climate emergency declaration, a move approved at Thursday's full council meeting.
The motion, introduced by cabinet member for housing Steve Smith and backed by Reform UK councillors, passed by 35 votes to 11. Smith told the chamber the authority could continue to improve local environmental services without maintaining the formal emergency status, and argued "Core services, economic growth and the cost of living should take priority over climate targets that are not statutory requirements."
The rescission directs officers to review any policies, targets and spending commitments that arose from the original declaration, and asks the council to reaffirm its focus on clean streets, parks, recycling, flood protection and other local environmental services. The motion adds that future environmental initiatives should be pursued only when they are "affordable, evidence-based and delivering clear benefits" for residents.
Opposition councillors and campaigners warned the decision weakens the council's climate response. Green group leader Rachael Taylor said the proposal "created a false choice between climate action and delivering good local services," and added the council already "considers affordability, value for money and evidence before spending public money," arguing there is no proof that removing the declaration will save funds or improve services.
Councillor Kate Owens-Palmer of the South Tyneside Alliance Group said she was "perplexed" that the motion seeks to rescind the declaration while also pledging to "do all the things that are going to protect nature and look after the climate." The Local Democracy Reporting Service recorded opposition concerns that the change may not deliver any financial benefit and could reduce the authority's focus on carbon reduction.
The council's original declaration, proposed by the Green Party in 2019, had established deadlines for reaching carbon neutrality, and aimed to align strategic decisions, policies and strategies to that target while promoting borough-wide carbon reductions. The meeting followed a demonstration by environmental campaigners outside South Shields Town Hall who expressed concern about the motion.
With the rescission now approved, the immediate next steps require officers to carry out the requested review and report back, and the council will implement the narrower commitments to local environmental services and the affordability criteria set out in the motion.
