Agenda item - Proposed Extension of Crawley Air Quality Management Area Boundary

Environmental Services & Sustainability Services Portfolio

To consider report HCS/25 of the Head of Community Services, which was referred to the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission held on 8 March 2021.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a) notes and acknowledge that it appears following the annual review and assessment of air quality, that the annual mean nitrogen dioxide objective as specified in the Air Quality Regulations 2000 is not being achieved within the area outlined in red on the plan in Schedule 1 of Appendix A of report HCS/25 (comprising the whole of the designated area under the Hazelwick AQMA and an area adjacent thereto) and;

b) agrees to extend the designated area of the existing Hazelwick AQMA by making an order pursuant to section 83 of the Environment Act 1995 in the terms set out in the draft at Appendix A to report HCS/25.

Reasons for the Recommendations

The council has a statutory duty under the Environmental Act 1995 to declare an Air Quality Management Area in areas where, following an air quality review, it appears that any of the National air quality objectives are not being met.

The Council monitors and reviews air quality across the borough annually to identify those areas where prescribed air quality objectives, are being, or are likely to be, exceeded. Having identified locations in this area that are exceeding the limits for annual average nitrogen dioxide, the Council has a duty to declare an AQMA.

Declaring the AQMA, enables an air quality action plan to be produced to target the sources of pollution in the locality and draw up measures to improve air quality in this area.

The Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Sustainability presented report HCS/25of the Head of Community Services which reported back on the recent consultation on a proposed variation to the designated boundary area of the Crawley Borough Council Hazelwick Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). The consultation occurred following the recording of pollution limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in the Hazelwick area were higher than as recommended by the Air Quality Regulations 2000. Previously the Council designated a Hazelwick AQMA order on 9 July 2015 and part of the consultation was to consider where any new AQMA should be covering. The report recommendation was to approve a new Hazelwick AQMA order which included an extension of the previous AQMA to allowed for a joined-up approach across all the locations within Hazelwick vicinity.

Councillor T Belben presented the Overview and Scrutiny Commission’s comments on the report OSC/294 to the Cabinet following consideration of the matter at its meeting on 8 March 2021, which included:

· That the Commission support the recommendation of the AQMA and acknowledged that even through the air quality had improved during lockdown, it was important to continue to monitor going forward.

· It was recognised that having an AQMA was a recommendation within the recent Climate Change Scrutiny Panel final report

Councillors P Smith, Crow and Lamb spoke in favour of the recommendations as part of the discussion on the report.

Councillor Jhans moved the recommendation with it seconded by Councillor Lamb.

A recorded vote was taken on the recommendations, in accordance with the Council’s Virtual Committee Procedure Rules. The names of the Councillors voting for and against the recommendations, along with any abstentions, are recorded as set out below:

For the recommendations:

Councillors Irvine, Jhans, Lamb, Mullins, B Smith and P Smith (6)

Against the recommendations:

None. (0)

Abstentions: