Agenda item

To inform the Joint Public Protection Committee of the submission and results of the annual air quality reports for the 3 local authorities. These reports are for the monitoring data and action plan progress for the calendar year 2019.

The Committee considered the report (Agenda Item 9) which informed Members of the submission and results of the annual air quality reports for the three local authorities. These reports were the monitoring data and action plan progress for the calendar year 2019. The annual status reports were available in full on the Partnership’s website.

Anna Smy, the Strategic Manager for Response, described the extensive work undertaken across the three local authorities in particular with transport policy, highways, public health and climate emergency colleagues, to seek improvements to air quality. This had involved discussions at existing meetings and internal working groups had been set up where necessary.

The annual status reports had been submitted to Defra and much positive feedback had been received from Defra.

Anna Smy explained that air quality had continued to be monitored throughout this calendar year. There had been an impact on traffic flows during Covid-19 and there had been a significant reduction in pollution during the lockdown period in comparison to the same period in previous years. There had been greater pedestrianisation during lockdown. Traffic flow information had been analysed with highway services to identify areas of learning.

It was also the case however that there had been reductions in the use of public transport and reduced car sharing arrangements and these were factors that could impact on air quality moving forward.

RESOLVED that:

·         the contents of the report and the three separate Air Quality Annual Status reports be noted.

·         the feedback from Defra on the reports be noted.

·         the progress on the measures to improve air quality set out in each report be noted. 

·         the ongoing and planned future measures to improve air quality set out in each report be approved.