Adopted: Full Council 088/26, 07.09.2026

Authority

The Climate & Emergency Planning Working Group is appointed by and solely responsible to St Agnes Parish Council. The Working Group’s purpose and duties are defined and agreed by Full Council, which may resolve at any time to modify them. The Working Group is an informal advisory body. It has no delegated decision-making or spending power and cannot commit the Council to any decision, policy, contract, action or expenditure. It will present recommendations to Full Council for consideration and decision.

The Working Group may only deliver or lead work that Full Council has expressly authorised. Any expenditure or use of Council resources must be supported by appropriate authority, approved budget provision and appropriate officer arrangements.

Purpose

The Climate & Emergency Planning Working Group will support the Council to promote a healthier, more sustainable and resilient environment for current and future generations within the Parish.

The Working Group will consider the climate emergency from:

  • an organisational perspective, by reviewing how the Council’s activities, assets, services, policies and procedures can support its climate objectives; and
  • a community perspective, by considering how the Council can encourage community responsibility, partnership working and locally achievable climate action.

It will support the Council to develop, monitor and review an accountable Climate Emergency Strategy and associated actions.

The Working Group will also support the Council to prepare and maintain a concise, practical and proportionate approach to emergency planning and community resilience. This work will focus on what the Parish Council can realistically and lawfully deliver, including the management of its own assets and services, continuity of Council functions, public information and signposting, and limited local information that may assist statutory responders where appropriate.

The Working Group will not seek to duplicate or assume the functions of Cornwall Council, the emergency services or other statutory responders. Its climate and emergency planning work will be coordinated where the two areas overlap, particularly in relation to severe weather, flooding, environmental risks, Council assets, community resilience and public communications.

Remit

The Working Group will:

  • Climate Emergency Strategy: Support the preparation, review and monitoring of the Council’s Climate Emergency Strategy and any associated action plan and recommend priorities and updates to Full Council.
  • Organisational climate action: Assess the climate and environmental implications of relevant Council activities, assets, services, policies and procedures, and recommend practical and proportionate improvements.
  • Community climate action: Identify and support locally achievable climate and environmental initiatives, community projects, information campaigns and opportunities for partnership working.
  • Practical emergency planning: Review the Council’s existing emergency planning material and prepare a shorter, practical and workable emergency planning and community resilience document for consideration by Full Council.
  • Council role and responsibilities: Ensure that the proposed emergency planning approach clearly explains what the Parish Council can and cannot do and does not create commitments or expectations beyond the Council’s authority, resources or capacity.
  • Operational boundaries: Liaise with the Clerk, relevant officers and the Asset Management Committee, recognising that the operational management of Council assets, out-of-hours arrangements, tree management and remedial works remains subject to existing officer and committee responsibilities.
  • Community information and signposting: Recommend clear public-facing information for the Council’s website, newsletter and social media, in accordance with the Council’s Communications Strategy.
  • Local resilience information: Identify key community buildings and other useful local resources, including relevant location, capacity and contact information, which may assist statutory responders or community support arrangements during an emergency. Any information collected or held must be necessary, proportionate, accurate and managed in accordance with data protection and confidentiality requirements.
  • Climate-related and other local risks: Consider the relevance of the Council’s arrangements to severe weather, flooding, fire and other major incidents that may affect the Parish, while maintaining a realistic and proportionate approach.
  • Partnership working: Liaise, where appropriate, with Cornwall Council, emergency services, utility providers, community organisations, neighbouring councils, local businesses and other relevant stakeholders.
  • Evidence and good practice: Gather and consider relevant evidence, guidance and examples of good practice from Cornwall Council, other councils and appropriate organisations.
  • Consultation and engagement: Support proportionate public consultation, community engagement and information gathering where this would assist the Council’s climate or community resilience work.
  • Events and collaboration: Advise the Council on relevant events, public information initiatives and appropriate third-party collaborations.
  • Funding and budget recommendations: Identify grants, external funding opportunities and possible budget requirements and make recommendations to Full Council. The Working Group may not incur expenditure or make financial commitments unless expressly authorised.
  • Incident review: Following any significant incident in which the Council’s emergency or community resilience arrangements are used, review the Council’s role and actions and report any findings or recommended improvements to Full Council.
  • Reporting: Provide Full Council with progress reports, findings and recommendations as required.

Method

The Working Group will ensure that its goals, actions and recommendations are S.M.A.R.T.:

  • Specific: Well-defined, clear and unambiguous.
  • Measurable: Supported by appropriate outcomes, criteria and measures of progress.
  • Achievable: Attainable within the Council’s powers, resources, officer capacity and available partner support.
  • Realistic: Relevant and proportionate to the Parish Council’s role and the needs of the Parish.
  • Timely: Supported by clear starting points, target dates and review arrangements.

The Working Group will also ensure that its work is:

  • evidence-led and proportionate;
  • clear about the Council’s role and limitations;
  • coordinated with relevant Council committees, officers and existing work programmes;
  • aligned with the Council’s adopted policies, strategies and communication standards;
  • mindful of data protection, confidentiality and information security;
  • realistic about staffing, financial and operational capacity; and
  • transparent and accountable through regular reporting to Full Council.

Membership

  • Membership will consist of a maximum of seven people, with a minimum of three appointed Parish Councillors.
  • Councillor members are established at the Annual Parish Council Meeting and thereafter, if Councillor vacancies arise, by the Full Council.
  • The Working Group may appoint community representatives.
  • The Working Group may elect a Chair, who shall be responsible for calling and running meetings and delegating actions with support from the Clerk.
  • It has the discretion to elect a Vice Chair.

Quorum

The quorum will be three members, to include at least one Parish Councillor. Where a meeting is not quorate, informal discussion may take place and notes may be recorded, but no formal recommendation may be agreed. Any proposed recommendation must be considered again at a quorate meeting.

Frequency of meetings

The Working Group will meet at least twice each year and additionally on an ad hoc basis as required. Meetings may take place physically, virtually or in a hybrid format where consistent with the Council’s arrangements.

Public Participation

There is no legal right for the public to attend Working Group meetings, as the Working Group is not a decision-making body of the Council. Admission of members of the public to a meeting will be at the discretion of the Working Group.

Public consultation and community engagement are separate from attendance at internal Working Group meetings. Public input should normally be gathered through agreed methods such as surveys, public events, written representations, stakeholder contact, the Council’s website, newsletters and social media. Any consultation material or public-facing information must be approved through the appropriate Council process before publication.

Record of meeting

Meeting minutes will be produced and submitted to Full Council at the next available meeting. When tasks are created and delegated, each will have a designated person of responsibility. They will have the duty of reporting on their task progress at each Working Group meeting, either in person or by way of a written report.

Review & termination

The Working Group may review its Terms of Reference as required and make recommendations to Full Council. Only Full Council may resolve to amend these Terms of Reference. The Working Group is ongoing and will terminate only by resolution of Full Council.