Issue - meetings

To consider the head of housing and environment’s report. 

A correction to the table, set out in paragraph 18 of the report, was circulated at the meeting and is attached to these minutes.

Gill Bindoff addressed the committee. She referred to a letter from Watlington Parish Council, circulated to all committee members, which drew attention to aspects of air quality which the parish council considered were not covered in the report before committee and raised concerns about how the district council managed air quality.  Her viewpoints were as follows:

·         The update provides an optimistic picture of air quality in South Oxfordshire not justified by the facts.

·         Evidence suggests there remains a problem with air quality in the designated Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and that the health of those communities is still under threat.

·         There is no pattern of falling levels of pollution in the AQMAs to indicate that nitrogen dioxide levels are reducing over time or that the AQMAs could be revoked.

·         The reliability of the 2018 data, which show a dramatic decline in pollution levels since 2017, with no explanation for this.

·         Insufficient care is being taken in respect of the Watlington AQMA – the district council should be taking a precautionary approach to the identified risk to ensure decisions are not taken which could increase harm to residents.

·         There is a mismatch between the responsibility to reduce air pollution and the demands of housing growth.

·         Greater collaboration required between the district council and Oxfordshire County Council.

·         A standalone committee/working party should take on responsibility for air quality.

·         Would welcome an opportunity for the parish council to meet with officers to address air quality issues. 

Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet member for housing and environment, addressed the committee. He stated that the committee had requested an update report on air quality in South Oxfordshire and in particular the progress made at delivering the actions identified in the Air Quality Action Plan adopted in 2014.

He reported that as a largely rural district, with several market towns and villages, the air quality throughout the district is generally very good.  However, there are air pollution hotspots where NO₂ associated with traffic emissions is higher and where it has been necessary to declare Air Quality Management Areas. 

Under the Environment Act the council is required to periodically review and assess air quality within the district area under the system of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM). This review and assessment of air quality involves considering present and future air quality levels against the national Air Quality Objectives defined by the department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

If it is predicted that levels at sensitive locations, where members of the public are regularly present for the relevant averaging period, are likely to be exceeded, the Local Authority is required to declare an Air Quality Management Area. Three such areas exist in South Oxfordshire, in Henley on Thames, Wallingford and Watlington, all declared because NO2 levels were either predicted to or were exceeding national objectives. There were no plans to declassify  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33