Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Members are asked to declare any interest they may have in any matter which is to be considered at this meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 1 July 2020 were agreed.

The Air Quality Officer (AQO) delivered a presentation on the position in Barking and Dagenham in relation to air quality and preparations for a public consultation on an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP). The levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) (a pollutant principally arising from the combustion of fossil fuels), were noted to be above legal limits, requiring the Local Authority to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and to produce an AQAP under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act. The AQAP currently being developed was for the period 2020-2025, and once approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Greater London Authority (GLA), the Council would be required to report annually on the progression of its key objectives.

The AQO explained the current issues that the Borough faced, noting high concentrations of pollution on and near main road networks and high levels of emissions from road transport, construction and development and vehicle fleet composition. The need to increase current air quality monitoring in the Borough was also highlighted, along with key priorities for the AQAP 2020-2025. A timetable for the preparation of the AQAP was presented, including a consultation with key internal and external stakeholders, who played a major part in improving air quality in Barking and Dagenham, as well as an 8-week public consultation. A final draft AQAP 2020-2025 was intended to be put forward for Cabinet approval in December 2020.

Following the presentation, Members asked a number of questions to the AQO, the responses to which are summarised below.

The AQO explained the difference between main monitoring ‘stations’ and smaller satellite air quality monitors and the reasons behind their geographical positioning within the Borough. The Environmental Health team was undertaking a review into the current air quality monitoring network, as this was not currently representative of air quality levels within Barking and Dagenham, overall. This was particularly apparent through the monitoring station at Scrattons Farm, which was observed to not be receiving data from the A13 at all due to its 150-200m southern positioning from the main road, which had led to it being classified as a ‘background’ station. The Environmental Health team wished to relocate this station to a roadside position to obtain more representative data on current air pollution from main roads in the Borough; however, additional funding would need to be secured in order to achieve this. A number of factors needed to be taken into account when installing an air quality monitoring station, such as land ownership, access, maintenance, electricity connections and Wi-Fi connections.

Further discussions into the funding for future air quality monitoring stations took place, with Members noting that the Council’s Environmental Health team were working with the Planning department to look into potential planning mechanisms that could be used to support future funding in this area. The Public Health team’s continuing involvement in responding to challenges around air quality in the Borough had resulted in the further integration of the Public Health  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The Chair stated that this report merely confirmed that the previously agreed recommendations stemming from the scrutiny review into ‘Ambition 2020 and its Early Impact’ had been accepted by officers. She added that the Committee was due to receive an update at this meeting outlining how the recommendations would be implemented, in the form of an action plan. However, due to officers wanting to check the action plan against the Council’s recently amended Corporate Plan, the Chair had agreed that the action plan instead be presented to the Committee’s meeting on 7 October 2020, which was noted.

Further to the suggestion made by the Chair in minute 13, Members agreed that the Work Programme include an update on the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan in relation to the meeting scheduled for 9 June 2021.

In response to a comment, the Committee agreed that a short update on Anti-Social Behaviour be provided as part of the second response to Covid-19 update item scheduled for the 4 November 2020 meeting and asked the Governance Officer to note this.

The changes to the Work Programme were agreed.

Members passed their thanks to the Council’s Finance Director for sending an analysis of the expenditure relating to the Housing Revenue Account classed as ‘supervision and management’, and the overspend in repairs and maintenance to the Committee, following a request for this information at the previous meeting. The Chair asked that any further questions Members had on the information provided be forwarded to herself and the Governance Officer by a deadline she would confirm outside of this meeting.