Issue - meetings

Recommendation on page 18

RESOLVED – That the content of the Annual Status Report for Bolsover District Council be noted.

Executive considered the report of the Portfolio Holder – Environmental Health and Licensing which presented the 2019 Annual Status Report for Air Quality in Bolsover District, which had been submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The report set out the Council’s Local Air Quality Management duty and the standards against which air quality was assessed.

The Council was operating a programme of monitoring for Nitrogen Dioxide using passive diffusion tubes at more than 20 selected locations across Bolsover District.

The Council had in the past identified three areas that were in exceedance of the annual mean Air Quality Objective for Nitrogen Dioxide. 

These were:

·                    Carter Lane East, South Normanton (12 dwellings)

·                    Chesterfield Road, Barlborough (1 dwelling)

·                    Orchard Close, Barlborough (5 dwellings)

The latter two were to be revoked, as resolved under the previous agenda item.

Members commented that air quality in South Normanton needed to be closely monitored, and raised issues around Junction 28, the M1 motorway and the A38 in particular.

Members queried the level of funding received from the Government to undertake a feasibility study to evaluate measures that would bring compliance with the EU Air Quality Directive for a short stretch of the A38 at South Normanton. The Director of Environment and Enforcement informed Members that the funding was approximately £500-600k, but she would find out the exact figure.

The Director of Environment and Enforcement also confirmed that air quality monitoring at South Normanton would continue indefinitely.

Consultation with parish councils was raised as Members noted they had not received information on air quality at their parish council meetings. The Director of Environment and Enforcement agreed to look into this.

The use of 60mph speed limits on the basis of air quality measures on the M1 was discussed and Members were informed that the theory behind the limit was to keep traffic moving continuously but at a slower speed. Members debated whether smart motorways were having the desired effects.

It was noted that the AQMA at South Normanton was being kept in place in part due to the need to continue monitoring on the impact of the smart motorway and it was hoped that an update would be provided in the next 12 months.

Moved by Councillor Deborah Watson and seconded by Councillor Duncan McGregor

RESOLVED – That the content of the Annual Status Report for Bolsover District Council be noted.

REASON FOR DECISION:

Publication of the Annual Status Report was a statutory duty and the format of the document was prescribed.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

There were no alternative options as the report was a statutory requirement.