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Low Emissions Strategy

 

 

Meeting: 13/06/2017 - Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee (Item 24)

24 Report of the Head of Housing and Community Services: Review of Air Quality Management Area and Low Emissions Strategy pdf icon PDF 90 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Mid-Kent Environmental Protection Team Leader presented this item to the Committee. The Committee noted that:

 

·  The development of a Low Emissions Strategy had been proposed in response to high levels of air pollution in specific parts of Maidstone.

 

·  The revised action plan (as set out in Appendix I) had been developed through a series of workshops with specialists, Councillors and officers.

 

·  The review of the action plan had prompted an assessment of the current Maidstone Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), which had been in place since 2008.

 

·  The AQMA had been redefined to the footprint of the area where air quality is genuinely poor and exceedances of national objectives had been recorded (as shown in Appendix II), so that the Council would be able to target actions in the worst areas.

 

·  This revision would remove the unnecessary costs of carrying out air quality assessments on small developments where the modelling showed that the air quality was not bad.

 

·  The consultation would continue until September and would include consulting with parishes and Councillors individually, as well as special interest groups, identified external stakeholders, statutory consultees and the wider public.

 

·  A report would then be brought back to this Committee.

 

In response to a question from the Committee about using retrofit technology on buses, the Mid-Kent Environmental Protection Team Leader confirmed that the Council had commitment from Kent County Council for four retrofit buses and that Nu-Venture had already bought two buses that had since been retrofitted.

 

The Committee identified some amendments to the action plan, which the Officer noted.

 

The Committee supported the need for the Air Quality Working Group to continue for the time being.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That the proposed Low Emissions Strategy attached as Appendix I be approved for public consultation, subject to the officer modifying Appendix I as discussed.

2.  That the associated Action Plan be approved for public consultation.

3.  That the proposed revision to the Air Quality Management Area included in the report detailed in Appendix II be approved for consultation with prescribed consultees and the public.

 

Voting:  unanimous