A COUNCILLOR has quit Sunninghill and Ascot Parish Council after slamming colleagues for “not going far enough” in their response to climate change.

Parish councillor Ian Steers claims the authority has failed to engage with residents about environmental issues despite “serious” warnings from community Climate Emergency Sunnings and Ascot (CESA).

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In his resignation letter, he wrote: “Climate change is a ‘clear and imminent danger’ already impacting on the mental and physical health of residents and its social consequences can only increase.

“If the parish council is to represent its residents, it cannot continue with its persistent practice of ‘business as usual’ and must actively engage with the community over climate change.

“Climate change is not going away.”

Mr Steers told the News he would like to thank residents for voting him in.

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His letter lists the reasons leading to his departure from the parish council, which starts with the authority refusing to declare a climate emergency after Mr Steers proposed it should.

This came despite declarations from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) and the government, and the former councillor claims the parish council has not engaged with the community for more than six months since these announcements.

Alleged failure to appoint a councillor to represent Ascot and Sunninghill over climate change was another issue concerning Mr Steers, and his claim the authority failed to listen to CESA also contributed to his resignation.

The community group submitted a report to the council about the borough’s local plan, which was claimed to be “weak” and “unsound”.

His resignation letter concluded: “I have resigned, today, because there are three candidates for the parish council vacancy and I have sadly failed to produce any climate action from the parish council.

“I hope that, by my resignation, the parish council will appoint and welcome two proactive councillors, and the parish council, as a whole, can move from platitudes to enacting their June declaration of mitigating the effects climate change, move from words to deeds.”