Agenda item

Tom Smith, Assistant Director, Community Safety & Street Scene

Tom Smith, Assistant Director Community Safety and Street Scene, assisted by Matt Reynolds, Manager Planning, Regeneration and Transport, gave the following powerpoint presentation:-

 

Background

-          7M deaths globally were caused by air pollution

-          Estimated up to 36,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom

-          Contributes to over 100 deaths per year in Rotherham

-          Worsens chronic illnesses, shortens life expectancy and damages lung development in children

-          Causes asthma, increases the chances of hospital admissions and respiratory and cardiovascular disease

-          Poor communities were most exposed to and suffered the consequences of polluted air

-          United Kingdom had been in breach of legal limits since 2010

 

Rotherham Air Quality Plan 2016-20

-          Mitigation of air quality impacts through the planning process (Development Control)

-          Promoting low emission transport in particular cleaner buses, taxi licensing, the installation of electric vehicle recharging infrastructure

-          Promoting travel alternatives to the private car, raising public awareness especially of the impact of diesel vehicles on air quality in our towns and cities

-          Improving the efficiency of the Rotherham MBC Vehicle Fleet

 

Work to Date – Sustainable Transport

-          Care4Air Campaign

-          Promote uptake of electric vehicles – 25 charging points

-          Promote alternative transport

·           Cycleboost

·           Sustainable and Active Travel support for schools

·           Independent Travel Training

·           “Walk Rotherham” project

·           Busboost

·           EcoStars

 

Work to Date – Infrastructure

-          National Productivity Investment Fund

-          Tram Train Pilot

-          Rotherham Interchange

-          A630 Parkway widening

 

Improving Air Quality in Rotherham

-          Rotherham and Sheffield required to work together to:

·           Analyse local air quality

·           Achieve statutory compliance with Air Quality Legislation

·           Proposed scheme(s) were deliverable in the shortest possible time and by no later than 2021

-          Submit final business case to Government by December 2019

 

What is causing the problem?

-          Road traffic

-          Particular types of vehicles

·           Diesel vehicles and older petrol vehicles were the most polluting

·           Older non-retrofitted buses

·           Private hire taxis

·           HGVs and LGVs

-          Focused in particular locations across the Borough – Wortley Road, Rawmarsh Hill, Fitzwilliam Road and the Parkway

 

Sheffield Parkway in Rotherham (A630)

-          Sheffield propose to introduce a Category C (CAZ C) charging zone area bounded by the inner ring-road

-          Would bring both the Sheffield and Rotherham sections of Sheffield Parkway into compliance by 2021

-          Assumes that the proposed 50 mph speed limit, associated with the widening of the Parkway in Rotherham was introduced

 

Rawmarsh Hill (A633) Rawmarsh

-          Upgrade or replace all buses operating on Rawmarsh Hill were to the Euro VI standard as a minimum

-          A Euro VI bus delivers an almost 95% reduction in emissions against earlier Euro standards

-          Divert around 25-30% of the scheduled buses from Rawmarsh Hill onto Barbers Avenue

-          Improve the junctions at Dale Road and undertake minor works to Barbers Avenue itself, to support this measure

 

Fitzwilliam Road (A630) Eastwood

-          Minor engineering and traffic flow works

 

Wortley Road and Upper Wortley Road (A629), Kimberworth and Thorpe Hesley

-          Heavy Goods Vehicles ban – northbound towards M1

 

Other Measures

-          Financial support to upgrade

·           Taxis and private hire vehicles

·           Buses

·           Heavy Goods Vehicles and Light Goods Vehicles

-          Campaigns and behavioural change

 

Outcomes

Rotherham Sites	2017 Baseline	2021
		Projected without measures	Projected with Measures
A630 Parkway Rotherham	48	44	39.5
A633 Rawmarsh Hill Rotherham	49	42	38.4
A629 Wortley Road Rotherham	45	41	31.3
A630 Fitzwilliam Road Rotherham	45	44	37.6

 

Next Steps

-          Public consultation on proposals – Summer 2019

-          Submit final business case to Government – December 2019

-          Implement proposals – from June/July 2020

 

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

 

-          Running alongside the Clean Air Zone was the Transforming Cities funding package.  The 2 business cases would complement each other

-          One of the current NO² readers was obscured by a tree – to be replaced by appropriate vegetation

-          The Clean Air Zone consultation process had now closed and had had a limited response – approximately 700 responses in Rotherham.  Rotherham businesses/taxi drivers had been encouraged to take part in Sheffield’s consultation with regard to the effect the introduction of the Category C (CAZ C) charging zone area

-          As well as work at the 4 locations there would be more campaign and behavioural change work

-          The Project Board was working with Central Government in an attempt to introduce a national awareness campaign

-          Car clubs/car sharing would be looked at as part of the behaviour change work

-          CCG and Place Plan should reflect air quality

-          Regular updates should be submitted to the Board

-          A number of electric vehicle charging points were now available on Council-owned land financed via the Early Measures Fund – possible installation on partners’ sites e.g. hospital?

-          Children Services may have a role to play in encouraging parents not to drive their children to school

 

Resolved:-  That the presentation be noted.