Meanwhile, Reform councillor Bert Bingham, who serves as Nottinghamshire County Council’s environment lead, called human-made global heating a “hoax” at a meeting last week.

He said statistics were “manipulated” and that “people have been brainwashed over time through the media”

Kent County Council, Reform’s largest, last week announced plans to slash net zero projects as part of cuts identified by its new Department for Local Government Efficiency unit. It said the funds would be “redirected back into vital services”

West Northamptonshire said “no adverse impacts on equality issues were identified”

The day after announcing the plans, the council issued advice amid a weather warning. “The warmer weather poses a much greater risk to the most vulnerable in our community, such as the very young and older people”

Reform’s West Northamptonshire Council could also scrap net zero targets this week, though it will keep its sustainability strategy, which “has been shown to have real benefits for residents and businesses and makes an ongoing contribution to the UK’s 2050 net zero target”