A specific budget to meet the commitment to become a carbon neutral council should be included this year as next year “is too late,” a cabinet member has said.

Cllr Neil Prior called for a money to be allocated for the carbon neutral bid agreed by the council last year as part of the fight against climate change.

At Monday’s (January 13) cabinet meeting, the member for transformation who is also involved with the working group for climate change, said plans needed to be prepared by July.

“I think it would be worthwhile considering how we look to fund any dramatic, major climate change initiatives that we have ongoing,” he said.

Cllr Prior acknowledged the work already ongoing and referred to other authorities such as Cornwall, which has budgeted £1million.

He said the working group would prepare some proposals before the end of the budget consultation period adding: “I’ll rename invest to save, invest to save the planet as next year is too late, we need to be doing something now.”

Cabinet member for finance Cllr Bob Kilmister said the 2020-21 budget includes replacing street light bulbs with LED bulbs and there was work ongoing to install solar panels to power County Hall.

“Next year we will have to introduce a budget line specifically for these issues,” said Cllr Kilmister.

The cabinet heard that there were other initiatives undertaken, some over many years, that contributed including the introduction of Electric Vehicle charging points.

Cllr Tessa Hodgson said that climate change was a priority but she wanted social care and providing for the most vulnerable in the county at the “forefront of people’s minds.”