Agenda item

- report by Mark Parry, Manager, Neighbourhood Development

Further to Minute No. 48 of 18^th September, 2003, Mark Parry, Manager, Neighbourhood Enforcement, presented a report on the work undertaken by the Air Quality Unit and the changes in national legislation since the joint Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Panels review into air pollution in Rotherham.

Mark drew attention to the following pieces of work that had taken place since the review:-

-              Air Quality Management Areas were declared in November, 2004, for Wellgate (nitrogen dioxide), St. Ann’s (nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter) and Wortley Road (nitrogen dioxide).

-              “Real time” monitoring devices had been installed at St. Ann’s and at Bradgate.

-              The nitrogen dioxide diffusion tube survey had been enlarged in partnership with the other South Yorkshire Councils and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.  In Rotherham they were centred around the A629 between the town centre to Junction 35 of the M1 and also around the Waverley area.

-              ”Detailed Assessment” for pollutant lead at the Aldwarke Corus works was completed and submitted to the DEFRA.  It concluded that if leaded steel production remained at the current level, exposure of the nearest residents should not exceed the objective for lead in 2008. 

-              The “Care4air campaign”, a partnership between the South Yorkshire Councils and South Yorkshire Travelwise, had been created to highlight what was happening in the region on air quality issues.

-              The new formal Local Transport Plan was currently being drafted.  A change in Government guidance had meant that air quality was one of the four main themes. 

The Panel considered the recommendations of the Review and the work that had, or had not, taken place:-

15.2 Communication with the Highways Agency and Department for the Envirornment, Food and Rural Affairs

Communication with the Highways Agency had continued on air quality nationally and between the agency and South Yorkshire Councils.  The Agency had been closely involved in the M1 Corridor Air Quality Partnership but not directly concerned with air quality issues, however, their brief had been changed and now included specific commitments to take air quality into account when proposing road schemes.  The Agency was a key stakeholder in the Local Transport Plan.

15.3 Motorway Speed Restrictions

The major costs of implementing the scheme were concerned with the costs of enforcing a reduced speed limit.  It would be necessary to use speed enforcement cameras on the motorway in order to ensure that traffic kept to the reduced speed limit.   The estimated set up cost per annual tonne of NOx emission improvement of the M1 speed restriction measure was £40,000.

15.5 Tree Planting

This was constrained by the lack of suitable available land, however, any tree planting within the Borough would have a positive impact.  The Authority was part of the “Care4Air” publicity initiative which rewarded good environmental practice and supported the planting of trees through the “Gift that Grows” scheme.

15.7 BramptonBierlow

Air quality had improved significantly since the declaration of the Air Quality Management Area.  No exceedences of either the 15 minute or 24 hours health based objectives had been monitored during 2004.

15.9 Vehicle Emissions Testing

DEFRA had discontinued the scheme.  Consideration was being given in the development of the Local Transport Plan(2) to the possibility of reviving the South Yorkshire Vehicle Emission Testing Programme.

15.10 Orgreave/Waverley

The planning permission included for comprehensive funding of public transport and a requirement for green travel plans for all commuters.  Neighbourhood Services were also suggesting the implementation of Low Emission Zones for major schemes such as Orgreave/Waverley.

15.12 New Vehicles

Neighbourhood Services’ fleet included several LPG fuel vehicles.  The new vehicle acquisition contract awarded in 2004 allowed the flexibility to acquire more “green” vehicles where service demands allowed.

15.16 Conversion to Gas Heating

The ‘Achieving Decent Homes’ initiative had resulted in the conversion of many Council properties from solid fuel to gas heating.

15.17 Public Health

The Primary Care Trust agreed that they would like to undertake such an analysis although there needed to be considerable further discussion as to how it would be done and how it would be funded.

Discussion ensued on the report with the following points made/clarified:-

-              The potential for pollution from an airport was recognised in Government Guidance but was extremely unlikely to be significant unless there were  significant passenger movements and guidance suggested that pollution impact would be more likely from the traffic accessing the airport rather than the aircrafts themselves.  The pollution they produced was at height, therefore, the impact at ground level was very unlikely to be significant.  Dumped fuel was not a pollutant under the national strategy.  The development of the Robin Hood Airport could give rise to this type of pollution.

-              New cars were more environmentally friendly but the increasing numbers were offsetting the anticipated improvement.

-              The St. Ann’s AQMA covered the length of Fitzwilliam Road to the Mushroom roundabout.  Reduction in pollution with distance was fairly rapid so housing set back even a short distance from the road was less likely to be affected.  Hence expanding the AQMA through Dalton (where housing was now set back from the roadside) could not be justified at the present time.  However, monitoring in Thrybergh (where residential properties were closer to the road) was continuing and may show a need to extend the AQMA depending on the results. 

-              An assessment of the impact of traffic on the Orgreave/Waverley site had been carried out but had been based on the developer’s traffic data.  No modelled levels of air pollution exceeded the Government standards.  No impact study had been carried out on the implications of public transport for the Orgreave/Waverley development.

-              When considering a planning application, the impact of possible future development in an area could not be taken into account when deciding an application.

Resolved:-  That the report be received.