Issue - meetings

Declaration of Four Elms Hill Air Quality Management Area - Outcome of Consultation

 

 

Meeting: 05/09/2017 - Cabinet (Item 7)

7 Declaration of Four Elms Hill Air Quality Management Area pdf icon PDF 3 MB

Minutes:

Background:

 

This report provided details of the findings of the consultation which had been undertaken to inform statutory consultees and members of the public of the need to declare a new Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) at Four Elms Hill prior to the formal declaration of the AQMA.

 

The Cabinet had agreed that consultation could be undertaken on the proposals at its meeting on 9 May 2017. Consultation was undertaken between 23 May - 28 June 2017. Seven responses were received to the consultation, 4 from local residents, 2 from statutory consultees (PHE and Natural England) and 1 response from a local authority, details of which were set out in Appendix 4 to the report.

 

The Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 17 August 2017 and its comments were set out in paragraph 7 of the report.

 

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken on the proposals, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

 

Decision number:

Decision:

The Cabinet noted the comments of the Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee as set out in paragraph 7 of the report.

98/2017

The Cabinet approved the declaration of the new Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) at Four Elms Hill to ensure Medway’s statutory duty, under the requirements of the Environment Act 1995, are met and instructed officers to:

·         undertake the necessary work to formally declare the area as an AQMA;

·         develop and consult on an Action Plan for the area; and

·         report back to Cabinet to gain approval of the new Action Plan.

 

Reasons:

 

Medway has a statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995 to declare an AQMA where the air quality objectives are not being met.

 

By Cabinet approving the declaration of the new AQMA at Four Elms Hill this will also provide Medway with some protection against potential infraction fines being passed down to the local authority by Central Government.

Meeting: 09/05/2017 - Cabinet (Item 8)

8 Declaration of Four Elms Hill Air Quality Management Area pdf icon PDF 5 MB

Minutes:

Background:

 

The report provided details of a need to declare a new Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) at Four Elms Hill and to seek approval from Cabinet to undertake a six-week consultation with statutory consultees and members of the public in line with the Environment Act 1995 prior to the formal declaration of the AQMA.

 

The report stated that the detailed assessment was completed in November 2016 which confirmed the need to declare the AQMA at Four Elms Hill. The detailed assessment was set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

 

The report noted that the outcomes of the consultation would be reported to the Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17 August 2017 and Cabinet on 5 September 2017.

 

A Diversity Impact Assessment was included at Appendix 4 to the report.

 

Decision number:

Decision:

50/2017

The Cabinet approved the consultation on the proposal to declare a new Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) at Four Elms Hill (Option 1), as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

51/2017

The Cabinet agreed that officers would report back to Cabinet on 5 September 2017 on the outcome of the consultation and to seek approval for the formal declaration of the Air Quality Management Area for Four Elms Hill.

 

Reasons:

 

Medway has a statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995 to declare an AQMA where the air quality objectives are not being met.

 

Consultation would also provide Medway with some protection against potential infraction fines being passed down to the local authority by Central Government.