To receive
a presentation from the Operational Services Manager, Colin Alborough and
Environment and Airport Monitoring Officer, Richard Ward on air pollution issues
across the Borough.
Minutes:
The
Committee welcomed Operational Services Manager, Colin Alborough,
and Environment and Airport Monitoring Officer, Richard Ward, who were in attendance
to give a presentation on air pollution issues across the Borough.
Mr. Ward,
gave an overview of the team that sat within Operational Services. The
Environmental Control and Pollution Team covered several other areas in
addition to air quality management these included, statutory nuisance, noise
nuisance and animal licensing. It was noted that Mr. Ward was the lead officer
for local air quality management and also had responsibility for air quality
issues relating to commercial and domestic bonfires, planning consultations and
policy and was the regulator for 27 permitted installations across the borough
for the Local Air Pollution Prevention and Control (LAPPC) process.
Air
pollution was very varied and complex, with a
large number of contributors. Pollutants could have both short and
longer term effect on the health of the population and had the most effect on
the most vulnerable.
The team
worked within the remit of frameworks set out by the Environment Act and the
National Air Quality Strategy. It was noted that monitoring in Rushmoor was primarily based around nitrogen dioxide, for
which there were currently 20 monitoring sites across the Borough. Reports on
the data from this monitoring, which showed a gradual reduction over time
across all sites, were submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on an annual basis.
The
Committee were also advised of ongoing projects on the M3 and A331. The A331
project had commenced in 2017 and through partnership working with neighbouring authorities, work had been undertake to reduce
nitrogen dioxide on the A331. A speed restriction of 50mph had been implemented
in June 2019 on a 1.8km stretch of the road to assist in reducing nitrogen
dioxide levels.
Looking to
the future, it was advised that consideration would be given to the content of
the Environment Bill due to be signed off later in 2021, this was expected to
include longer term targets for air quality measures and an annual mean level
for PM2.5 (particulate matter) levels. The Council’s Climate Change Action Plan
would also impact on the work of the team.
The
Committee discussed the presentation and raised a number of queries.
In relation
to the impact of the pandemic on pollution levels it was noted that it had been
too early to determine the long term effects. However after the initial
lockdown levels had been slowly creeping back up to normal.
With regard
to having a local impact on nitrogen dioxide levels, it was noted that
objectives in the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan and work carried out by
Hampshire County Council with school children to educate and raise awareness on
the subject of air pollution would help on a local level to improve air
quality.
In response
to a query regarding wood burners and their impact on air pollution, it was
noted that wood burning stoves contributed to a third of PM2.5 in the air. It
was thought that moving forward, smoke control areas and regulation on target
levels may be introduced to control the use of these heat sources.
The
Chairman thanked Mr. Ward for his presentation.