Agenda item

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/30), attached.

The Committee considered the Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/30) on air quality management in the Exeter. Exeter City Council (ECC) was responsible for monitoring and reporting on local air quality management, including producing an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP).  The County Council’s role was to support the AQAP as transport-related pollution was one of the main contributors to poor air quality.  The Report drew upon information from Exeter City Councill’s latest Air Quality Annual Status Report based upon monitoring data from 2021 and reported to their Executive in September 2022.

There were two national objectives for levels of nitrogen dioxide.  These were for the average level over a whole year, which should be below 40 micrograms per cubic metre, and the average level for one hour, which should not exceed 200 micrograms per cubic metre, on more than 18 occasions during a year.  Local authorities were told that this one-hour standard was  unlikely to be exceeded where the average level over a whole year was below 60 so this measurement was a commonly used proxy.  The annual average objective applied to residential, hospital and education sites.  Monitoring conducted by the City Council was not representative of typical or average conditions across the city.  Instead, most of the monitoring sites were indicative of the worst-case locations.

Based on 2022 report findings, the number of sites which exceed the objective had reduced significantly since the Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was declared (a reduction from 32 exceedances in 2009 to one in 2021).  The highest level and only exceedance was measured on the Heavitree Road corridor at East Wonford Hill.  Here, levels had been previously well above the objective level but in 2021 were significantly lower at 42.2 micrograms per cubic metre.

The Report highlighted the overall improvement in air quality in Exeter, the reduction in traffic volumes across the city since 2015 and progress in delivering against the Air Quality Action Plan remedial measures to encourage mode shift and reduced reliance on private car for peoples’ daily needs.

Members’ discussion points with the Officers included:

·         there was a clear numeric decline in traffic flows and associated improvement in air quality and that Electric vehicles would have a made a positive contribution and that HGVs, including buses had an adverse disproportionate impact on the pollution levels;

·         officers undertook to review with GWR the disability access arrangements and any proposals in regard to the Exeter, St Thomas, rail station and improved services in Cowick Street planned under the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) proposals;

·         the relatively persistent high levels of pollutants in and around York Road and the Mount Pleasant junction in connection with signal timings and engine idling; and Officers undertook to investigate the opportunities to address this through the BSIP funding arrangements;

·         an undertaking from Officers that the annual Air Quality Management  Report would be reported to a future meeting, following Exeter City Council’s annual Executive report, with the most updated and current data reported jointly by Exeter City Council and Devon County Council Officers;

·         confirmation of cooperative working between the Exeter City Council (as the lead Authority) and Devon County Council, under the statutory duty to cooperate requirements and noting the opportunity for further collaboration through joint working groups (as well as the Enhanced Bus Partnership arrangements) for example;

·         concerns by Members at the current levels of pollution and disproportionate impact on vulnerable younger and older residents and whether the current limits were appropriate to ensure a safe and healthy environment; and the impact of ongoing congestion on the City’s fragile road network and pressures on the bus network and patronage; and the impact as a result of the new and substantial residential development in and around the City, noting that this may result in a need for a review of the current AQ monitoring points; and Officers undertook to liaise with Exeter City Council to provide more mapping information on the current locations and consider requests for new locations;

·         a response to the current DEFRA consultation on the draft revised Air Quality Strategy was being made by Public Health colleagues on behalf of the County Council; and 

·         further School Streets trials could be rolled out if schools were interested; however this would be subject to resources and availability of external grant funding and the support of School staff and governors.

The Chair thanked the Officers for the wide-ranging report and noted the significant improvements being made through active travel schemes and initiatives.