THE climate action plan to get West Berkshire to carbon neutral in 10 years has been criticised as containing “too much waffle” and “business as usual”.

The environment strategy sets out how the district can cut its carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2030, and was published in draft by West Berkshire Council on January 9.

The public have until February 21 to tell the council what they think about the strategy, as part of a consultation which will influence the final strategy, due to be approved on April 30.

READ MORE: Climate emergency action plan for West Berkshire revealed—have your say

But opposition councillors have criticised it for not going far enough.

Councillor Steve Masters (Green, Speen) said: “The Green group really appreciate how much work officers have put in to get this together in such a short period of time.”

While welcoming the “overall ambition”, Cllr Masters said the council should focus more on “integrated transport” and “innovative and creative solutions”, possibly funded through workplace parking levies.

READ MORE: Fracking and coal mining in West Berks “may offer future potential”

Cllr Masters said: “There is too much focus on business as usual. Just encouraging and suggesting people make lifestyle changes isn’t going to be enough.”

As well as investing in sustainable alternatives to cars, he said the public should be engaged in the plan through outreach events across West Berkshire.

He also called for a “total 24/7 ban of vehicles from Northbrook Street and the Market Place, diverting traffic down Parkway and over the bridge near the wharf.

“This would go a long way to improving air quality in the town centre, and boost not only health and wellbeing but also town centre commercial activity.” 

Cllr Adrian Abbs (Lib Dem, Wash Common) said: “As someone who has been pushing for real action straight away, the environment strategy contains far too much waffle, has way too many get-out clauses, and far too little action.”

He criticised the council for supporting the expansion of Heathrow, postponing improvements to plastic recycling, and slow progress on solar planning projects — all since declaring a climate emergency in July last year. 

Cllr Abbs said: “A major concern is how they have worked out alternative power generation needs and the order in which tackling energy use is done — the numbers appear completely wrong.”

The environment strategy refers to the council’s electricity consumption as 11,630 MWh a year, and plans to produce 11.5MW energy to meet demand, plus an additional 10MW. But the strategy does not explain how those numbers were arrived at. 

Cllr Abbs also criticised the current concentration of electric vehicle charging points in the district being focused in Newbury — with none in Thatcham.

Cllr Steve Ardagh-Walter (Con, Thatcham Colthrop & Crookham), the lead for environment, did not comment on the criticisms.