Issue - meetings

DECISION

1.        That the results of the consultation exercise on the draft Air Quality Action Plan be noted.

2.        That the Air Quality Action Plan be recommended for formal submission to DEFRA for approval and adoption by the Council following consultation on the draft plan.

3.        That, once approved by DEFRA, an update report on progress on the Air Quality Action Plan be presented to Cabinet on a six monthly basis as requested by Cabinet.

Portfolio Holder and Officer

Cllr Stevens

ND

REASON FOR DECISION

Councillor Yvonne Stevens presented a report by the Head of Regulatory Services, which provided a summary of the response to the Council’s consultation exercise carried out between 19th February and 19th March 2020 regarding its draft Air Quality Action Plan and provided a final Air Quality Action Plan for submission to DEFRA for their approval.

Boston Borough Council had declared two Air Quality Management Areas known as Haven Bridge Road AQMA (2001) and Bargate Bridge AQMA (2005) due to air quality in these locations failing to meet the UK air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide. This primarily arose from high usage of private vehicles for making short journeys within Boston. The declaration of an AQMA placed a statutory obligation on the local authority to produce an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP).

A draft Air Quality Action Plan was developed by a steering group lead by Environmental Health composed of officers from across a number of Council departments and with colleagues from Lincolnshire County Council Highways and Public Health. A single plan has been developed as the air quality issues in both areas are the same.

The draft Air Quality Action Plan had previously been presented to the Environment & Performance Committee and Cabinet for comment, and consent was given to consult with a number of statutory, non-statutory consultees and the wider community as required by schedule 11 of the Environment Act 1995.

The consultation exercise on the draft plan ran between the 19^th February 2020 and 19^th March 2020 and a copy of the consultation plan was attached at appendix C.

There were two strands to the consultation. Direct correspondence to statutory consultees such as DEFRA, Environment Agency, Lincolnshire County Council, and neighbouring local authorities. In addition, direct correspondence was sent to other specific non-statutory consultees such as Sustrans, Port of Boston, NHS Trust, Public Health England, and Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce.

In terms of the specific statutory and non-statutory consultees, no responses were received to the consultation. The results of the consultation were disappointing considering that the implementation of the plan would need the cooperation of organisations within this group. Whilst no formal response was received from LCC Highways, they had already been part of the process of drafting the action plan with key officers sitting on the working group. In addition, regular meetings were held with LCC Highways Officers and LCC Councillors regarding transport in Boston (Boston Transport Group). Air quality was part of the remit of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69