CHESHIRE East has voted to back the UK100 pledge despite claims from one councillor it would cost £5bn to achieve the carbon zero aims across the borough by 2045.

The motion, proposed by Cllr Quentin Abel (Knutsford, Ind) was that Cheshire East makes the UK100 pledge and asks the relevant committee to determine whether the council should join the UK100 Network.

Following some opposition from councillors, who said there was no actual plan in place, it was carried with 40 votes in favour, 10 against and 19 abstaining.

Cllr Abel told Wednesday’s meeting of the full council: “This is the most pressing and important issue that we face as mankind and as a planet.

“This proposal builds on what we have already agreed to do and what we are successfully achieving in Cheshire East.”

He said the UK100 pledge ‘unleashes the power of our industries and our businesses to move further, and to take direct action’.

“I speak as the owner of a small business [in Manchester] who has indeed done this.

“Often during the week, we are actually net zero and we are achieving that and, when we have excess energy, we give it to Manchester,” he said.

Cllr Tony Dean (Knutsford, Con) backed Cllr Abel.

“I support this motion in both of its parts, as I believe it will give us even more impetus to carry out the climate change mitigation actions that we've already agreed in this council,” said Cllr Dean.

“And then the other actions, extra actions needed to exhort our communities to reduce their own emissions to net zero by 2045.”

Cllr Sam Corcoran: “I do think the role of the council is to set the principle, set the policy, set the direction.

“Council is being asked to adopt the principles set out in the pledge but, as the motion says, asks the relevant committee to determine whether Cheshire East Council should join the UK100 network.”

But Cllr Mark Goldsmith (Wilmslow West & Chorley, Ind) told the meeting: “I won't commit Cheshire East to a wild promise, costing billions, based on a flimsy three page motion at the end of the council meeting.”

He said: “Cheshire East has already made a commitment that its own activities will be carbon zero by 2025 and we are well on the way to making this happen.

“However this motion says Cheshire East will ensure all its residents and businesses will also be carbon zero by 2045.

“However, just removing all the borough's gas boilers alone will cost around £1bn and these only account for about 20 per cent of our collective emissions, so this pledge will cost £5bn or more to achieve.

“So on what basis is Cheshire East being asked to fund this £5bn investment? Well, there's almost none whatsoever.

“Promising the earth with no way of knowing how we will achieve it, seriously undermines the council's credibility.

“Our word is our bond. We recklessly gamble with our reputation by making such a big, big promise on such flimsy and inadequate plans.”

He said the money spent on a £40,000 management report for this could be better used to pay for social workers.