Congratulations to Wiltshire residents, farmers and businesses in making this England's greenest county according to Friends of the Earth.

They have invested generously in solar panels and have a precious legacy of trees from previous generations.

By comparison Wiltshire Council despite the acknowledgement of the Climate Emergency in February this year, still has much to do and it now needs to act to correct its past environmental failings.

For example the council's ban on wind turbines, as well as its capitulation to house building companies over standards of environmental construction – when did you ever see solar panels fitted as standard on new build housing estates?

There has also been an obsession with housing numbers regardless of sustainability and quality of life; for example, a possible doubling of houses from 4,000 to 8,000 for Chippenham under the 2016-36 Local Plan Review.

This coupled with patchy levels of public transport and a lack of EV charging points shows the need for a revolution in joined-up thinking and vision, which the cabinet with the benefit of the overview and scrutiny of the Global Warming and Climate Emergency Task Group, now needs to bring.

The push from children through the school climate strike and from movements such as Extinction Rebellion have added a much-needed dynamic, which all of us need to keenly engage with.

Dr Brian Mathew

Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for North Wiltshire