Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability submitted a report which aims to address questions raised by members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at an earlier meeting around the council’s air quality management areas and air quality action plan.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability said that he would like to give Members a presentation which highlighted some of the work the council had been doing in respect of air quality.  The slides provided an update on reducing pollution levels since 2014 in the three air quality management areas in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford and Sawbridgeworth.  The first slide indicated that the three areas were nearly falling below the air quality management designation status.  He explained that from the evidence presented, the recent growth in housing development had not stopped the downward trend of air pollution levels despite increases in car usage and additional schools’ admissions. 

The Executive Member provided a summary of achievements since 2020 these included the purchase of electric cars for officers use, revised taxi policies, the sustainability policies, new pollution monitors and a new Climate Change Strategy.  He explained the timetabling proposed for the introduction of a new Air Quality Action Plan which would go out for consultation, to Overview and Scrutiny Committee (21 September 2023), the Executive (January 2024) and to DEFA for approval.    It was noted that a Government Grant had been received to delivery Air Quality projects in the sum of £126,408.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee Members asked some pre submitted and supplementary questions. The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability and the Executive Member for Planning and Growth responded to these questions. Hertfordshire County Councillors E Buckmaster, B Deering and Calvin Horner also responded to some of the questions and the answers that were given.

Having scrutinised the report and its contents, Councillor Devonshire proposed and Councillor Drake seconded, a motion that the council’s work in relation to air quality and more specifically in the three air quality management areas be received including the extent to which the council was using available resources to have a positive impact on public health.  Secondly Members acknowledged the extent to which the council was fulfilling its statutory obligations with regard to the three air quality management areas with comments being referred to the Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that (A) council’s work in relation to air quality and more specifically in the three air quality management areas be received including the extent to which the council was using available resources to have a positive impact on public health; and

(B)   Secondly that Members acknowledged the extent to which the council was fulfilling its statutory obligations with regard to the three air quality management areas with comments being referred to the Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability.