COUNCILLORS are to be asked to approve plans to spend thousands of pounds on a local authority’s efforts to fight climate change.

Members of Hambleton District Council’s cabinet committee will debate the draft climate change strategy at a meeting next week.

A key priority for the strategy, which if approved will run between this year and 2014, is a significant per capita reduction in carbon emissions across the district.

Councillors will be asked to approve spending £13,500 - funding which is not in the council’s current budget - on a "carbon footprint analysis".

That this analysis, which would be undertaken by external consultants, would be conducted over a period of two months.

Approval is sought for a further £10,000 spend on a grant scheme aimed at reducing emissions.

Other initiatives which could be included in the strategy include tree planting grants.

These projects appear in a list of schemes associated with the climate change strategy, which councillors will be asked to approve.

In a report to members, Mick Jewitt, the council’s head of communities, wrote: "There will be financial implications for the council attached to the recommendations of this report.

"This will result in the need for additional funds to be identified to ensure that climate change is effectively addressed in the district and emissions reduction targets are met.

"The cost of some actions is still to be determined and will therefore be the subject of separate reports to the cabinet for approval.

"These will include carbon footprint analysis, fleet monitoring software and tree planting grants.

"Implementation of some actions will result in revenue savings.

"There will be considerable benefits from approving the document.

"It will make a substantial contribution to achieving the council and the local strategy partnership’s vision for improving life in the district."

Mr Jewitt’s report pledges that the strategy will: · increase the use of eco-friendly forms of transport and reduce the reliance on cars;

· promote energy efficiency;

· improve the district’s resilience to flood risk.

The cabinet meeting will be held at 9.30am, on Tuesday, April 21, in the council chamber, at Hambleton civic centre.