Sedgemoor District Council has become the latest Somerset council to declare a climate emergency - but it won't be spending as much as one of its immediate neighbours.

The full council met in Bridgwater on Wednesday afternoon (March 20) to discuss declaring an emergency,  and has committed £25,000 towards creating a strategy laying out the numerous actions it will take to combat climate change.

Councillor Bill Revans, the sole Liberal Democrat member, put forward an amendment to increase the amount following Mendip District Council's actions on a similar motion on February 25.

But Mr Revans was the only one to support this change, as the motion passed with minimal debate.

Previous climate emergency motions at other Somerset councils had attracted protests from Extinction Rebellion and other climate campaigners - including Somerset County Council on February 20, and Somerset West and Taunton Council on February 21.

But no protestors were present at Bridgwater House as council leader Duncan McGinty introduced the motion.

He said: "We are taking positive action across a wide range of activities and policy-making.

"I entirely recognise that notwithstanding the wide range of activities and policies that help address the cause of climate change, we can and should do more.

"This council takes this extremely seriously: we are doing things but we're not complacent."

Mr McGinty cited the Local Plan, the emerging single use plastics strategy and the upcoming Recycle More scheme (which will be rolled out from 2020) as evidence of the council's ongoing commitment to tackling climate change.

Councillor Kathy Pearce welcomed the motion, stating the council was "in a strong position" over the environment.

Councillor Bill Revans said it was "great to see this gesture going on across Somerset" and put forward an amendment to increase the amount of money being committed for the new strategy.

He said the council should double the funding it intended to allocate, following the example of Mendip District Council - which voted to commit £100,000 over two years.

He added proposed projects like the Bridgwater tidal barrier (which could be operational by 2024 if approved) should not be relied upon to offset climate change on their own.

He said: "It's great to have a barrier proposed to provide a 100-year solution, but the long-term solution is to stop sea levels from rising."

Mr Revans' amendment failed to attract any support from either the Conservative ruling group or the other opposition parties - Mr Revans was the only one to support it.

Mr McGinty said: "I don't want members to get hung up about money. We will continue to do things outside of preparing this strategy which will help us with climate change."

The main motion to declare a climate emergency was passed with one abstention and no objections.

Posting on social media after the decision, Mr Revans said: "It seems there is a limit to the Conservatives' commitment, and the Labour Party's commitment, to global warming and climate change. Sedgemoor needs a shake-up."

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