Would you pay £1 a week more to fight climate change? Warwick plan to go to referendum

Would you be prepared to pay £1 a week extra in council tax to help fight climate change in your area?

That is the question which will be put to residents in Warwickshire in a historic referendum on creating a £3m "climate action fund".

It comes after Warwick District Council unanimously backed the move to put the plan to a public vote - in what is a UK first.

The council wants to prepare for issues such as flooding and hopes the entire district will become carbon-neutral by 2030.

People from the district's main towns of Leamington, Warwick, Whitnash and Kenilworth, as well nearby villages, will be asked to approve the "Climate Action Now" (CAN) programme at the ballot box on 7 May.

The plan would see the council improve the efficiency of local homes, create a new sustainable transport policy to reduce congestion and air pollution, enhance the environment through tree planting schemes and the creation of green spaces, and help businesses become more energy-efficient.

The council needs to raise £3m per year to fund the programme and can only do that by raising council tax by the equivalent of £1 per week for a Band D household, which requires a public vote under law.

Taxpayers who are on low incomes would be eligible for a discount on the planned rise.

Council leader Andrew Day said the vote was an "incredible chance" for the district's residents to become the first in the country to take decisive action against climate change at a local level.

"The time to do something about climate change isn't in a few years' time - it's right now," he said.

"We've declared a climate emergency, and we now need to take urgent action to help turn the tide against climate change by becoming carbon neutral.

"We can assure residents that this money will only be spent on the CAN programme, and the public will be able to check we're doing our job correctly through regular updates in meetings and through our accounts.

"We urge Warwick District's voters to take this incredible opportunity to actively combat climate change and vote yes on Thursday, May 7."