Issue - meetings

To consider the draft plan for approval for submission to the Secretary of State.

RESOLVED:

That the Air Quality Final Plan for New Forest District Council (December 2018), as attached as Annex A and its supporting appendices, be approved for submission to the Secretary of State before 31 December 2018.

The Cabinet was addressed by Mrs G Hickman on behalf of New Forest Friends of the Earth and other environmental organisations.  Mrs Hickman welcomed the work that had been done, in conjunction with Southampton City Council, on air quality in the Totton area.   She considered that, although the legal limits would be met, there were no grounds for complacency and she welcomed the continuing high profile that the Council would be giving to addressing air quality throughout the District.  Friends of the Earth would welcome the opportunity to work with the Council on this issue.

The Portfolio Holder commended the Final Air Quality Plan to the Cabinet for approval for submission to the Secretary of State.  The Plan was the result of extensive research and work by the officers, in collaboration with Southampton City Council and the Joint Air Quality Unit.  In response to the Ministerial Direction to address air quality along the A35 leading to the boundary with Southampton, this Council had submitted the draft Business Case to Government by the deadline in April and had prepared the Final Plan under budget and to time.

The Cabinet noted that an extensive amount of work had been carried out locally allowing local air quality modelling to be carried out using local data and conditions, including information from real-time air quality monitors at key locations.  A combination of factors meant that the target area in this District would meet the required EU Air Quality Directive by 2019.  As no additional measures had been identified that would bring compliance forward the National Joint Air Quality Unit had indicated that a “business as usual” approach locally was acceptable.

Members welcomed the proposal that, although the required standards would be met without additional measures, air quality should remain a high priority and a further programme of work carried out for the future.  This would include:

•      Monitoring of nitrogen dioxide levels would continue on the roadside of the A35 in the New Forest using a real-time monitor and diffusion tubes to ensure that standards were met and that forthcoming development did not cause exceedances of prescribed levels.

•      Continued partnership working with:

–     Southampton City Council (producing their Final Plan in January 2019)

–     Hampshire County Council (transport and public health)

–     Local businesses / residents

–     Regional groups

•      Research into any funding streams available to this Council

•      The production of an Air Quality Strategy for the New Forest as part of the overarching Environmental Strategy.

It was noted that the Council was taking a proactive approach to the issue, looking at the emission performance of its own fleet of vehicles, and also investigating the installation of additional electric vehicle charging points in Council car parks.  Homeworking and encouraging the use of cycling by staff would also contribute.

Members thanked the officers for their hard work to progress this issue.

RESOLVED:

That the Air Quality Final Plan for New Forest District Council (December 2018), as attached as Annex A to Report Item  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65