A councillor behind a bid to create a climate group has said she will proceed with the plan even though colleagues rejected it.

Ripon City Council voted 6-3 against a motion on Monday to set up a working group on climate, food and community cohesion.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Barbara Brodigan, who did not attend the meeting, had pushed for the creation of the group.

But several members of the controlling Independent Putting Ripon Before Party Politics group spoke against the idea.

Cllr Peter Horton said the terms of reference appeared to be a “wish list of wide-ranging generalisations” and “another talking shop we can do without”.

Cllr Jackie Crozier described the motion as “grandstanding” and Cllr Andrew Willams likened the terms of reference “to a “cut and paste job”.

The motion was proposed by Cllr Julie Ann Martin-Long and seconded by Cllr Tony Duncan, who are unaligned independents.

The working group would have supported the city council’s work reducing carbon emissions and promoting climate resilience over the next six months, and worked with other groups, including schools and community groups, on climate issues.

Cllr Duncan said it was “about the people of Ripon getting together” to discuss “common sense, practical actions that could save lives”, adding:

“I don’t class myself as an environmentalist, but I would like to get involved in something like this.”

After the meeting Cllr Brodigan pledged to proceed despite the rejection.

She said: