Agenda item

To approve the Air Quality Strategy.

The Cabinet Member: Homes & Enforcement presented the report of the Director: Neighbourhood & Enforcement Services.

The report gave an update on how the Council would continue to build safer, stronger & healthier communities through better air quality to prevent poor health through cardiovascular and respiratory disease.  It asked for approval of the Air Quality Strategy and gave details of the framework for managing and improving air quality which linked to the Council’s carbon neutral action plan.

Air quality within the borough was very good with monitoring undertaken demonstrating that it was compliant with national thresholds. Unlike many other areas across the country, there was no Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) within the borough.

The Strategy set out measures and priorities that the Council would undertake to further enhance air quality within the borough to ensure that Government targets were met.

Following a successful bid to DEFRA, further Electrical Vehicle Charging Points (EVCP) would be installed on council owned car parks bringing the total of publicly available EVCPs in the borough to 150 during 2024.

In addition, investment into the Silkin Way of £800,000 would provide residents and businesses with greater sustainable travel choices while decarbonising transport and connecting communities.

Cabinet Members welcomed the report and the benefits it brought in relation to the reduction of respiratory conditions.  Further benefits were the increase in EVCPs and the active travel network which reduced carbon emissions on roads.  The Council were unable to make any changes to agriculture within the rural area.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group welcomed the report but asked Cabinet to consider the concentration of vehicles and pollution around schools.

The Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group welcomed the report and commented on the anti-idling measures, the management of the cycling network and what could be done to improve this.  In relation to agriculture, he asked if partnership work could be undertaken with Harper Adams University.

The Cabinet Member: Homes & Enforcement confirmed that enforcement officers from the Community Action Team (CAT) worked in conjunction with the parish and town council and did speak to parents outside schools which had a positive impact.

The Leader confirmed that work had been undertaken on safer streets outside schools, however this was not something that could be imposed and that more work was required on pavement parking enforcement.  Work was already undertaken with Harper Adams University as part of the Council’s partnership working.

RESOLVED – that:

a)    the Air Quality Strategy be approved;

b)   delegated authority to the Director Neighbourhood & Enforcement Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing & Enforcement, to make ongoing changes to the strategy as required be approved;

c)    the development of an Action Plan which will provide the framework for monitoring and managing air quality within the Borough; Building Safer, Stronger & Healthier Communities Through Better Air Quality be endorsed;

d)   an update being provided to the Health and Wellbeing board be approved; and

e)    the success of external funding bid and actions that have been completed in respect of air quality management and monitoring to date be noted.