Issue - meetings

This report updates Members on the outcome of the recent Air Quality Support Grant (AQSG) applications made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). 

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to accept air quality grants from DEFRA totalling £69,000 and allow the air quality projects outlined in the report to proceed.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel, as set out above, be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:      The DEFRA grant represents the most appropriate way of funding the continuation of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) in the City.  LAQM is a statutory undertaking that contributes towards the Council’s corporate priorities on improving the health of residents and encouraging the use of public, and other environmentally friendly, modes of transport.

Members considered a report which provided an update on air quality issues, including the outcome of the recent Air Quality Support Grant (AQSG) applications made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Officers had submitted three AQSG bids to DEFRA in March.  Due to a national shortfall in the amount of grant available, York’s allocation fell short of the amount required to progress all of the air quality projects planned for 2007/08.  Proposed expenditure of the actual funding granted in each of the bid areas was therefore as follows:

Air quality monitoring (£30k allocation) – upgrade of the existing site at Holgate – Project 1 – and replacement of the existing NOx analyser.

Air quality modelling (£30k allocation) – proceed with the purchase of the UPS, renew the software licences and technical support contracts for 5 years and seek DEFRA’s permission to re-allocate some of the resulting £18k surplus to monitoring activities.

Air quality action planning (£9.5k allocation) – invest about £6k into the JorAir project, £750 in work to raise awareness of smoke control and bonfire issues and use the remainder to support the launch of a new air quality and planning guidance note.

Members also had the option to reject some or all of the grants and revise the projects accordingly.  However, this was not recommended.  No other source of funding existed for the projects outlined in the report.

Paragraphs 19 to 36 of the report provided a general update on air quality issues, including the national Air Quality Strategy, the recommendations of the Rogers Review, which had identified air quality as one of five national priorities for local regulatory services, and the Council’s second Air Quality Progress Report, submitted to DEFRA in April 2007.  Progress on the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Feasibility Study requested by the Executive Member was set out in paragraphs 37 to 41.

It was noted that, although York’s allocation fell far short of the sum requested, it was still the second highest air quality grant awarded for 2007/08.  In relation to the LEZ feasibility study, Members commented that the aim should be to exclude high emission vehicles altogether rather than introducing a charging system.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to accept air quality grants from DEFRA totalling £69,000 and allow the air quality projects outlined in the report to proceed.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel, as set out above, be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:      The DEFRA grant represents the most appropriate way of funding the continuation of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) in the City.  LAQM is a statutory undertaking that contributes towards the Council’s corporate priorities on improving the health of residents and encouraging the use of public, and other environmentally friendly, modes of transport.