Agenda item

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health.

The report sets out the progress that has been made following the Government’s response to Greater Manchester’s Outline Business Case to tackle Nitrogen Dioxide Exceedances at the Roadside (OBC), and the implications for the 10 Greater Manchester (GM) local authorities in relation to the schedule of work and statutory consultation on the Clean Air Plan.

(NOTE: This report contains confidential appendices which has been circulated to members of the Cabinet only).

The Cabinet is recommended to:-

a)    note progress made to date;

b)   note the ministerial direction under the Environment Act 1995 (Greater Manchester) Air Quality Direction 2019 which requires all ten of the Greater Manchester local authorities to implement a charging Clean Air Zone Class C across the region;

c)    agree the need to continue to proceed towards developing the implementation and contract arrangements of a charging Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester utilising the initial tranche of £36m of funding as required by the ministerial direction / feedback;

d)   delegate authority to The Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member Adult Care and Health and Director of Public Health to determine the preparatory implementation and contract arrangements that need to be undertaken utilising the initial tranche of £36m of funding to deliver the CAZ and other GM CAP measures, as set out at paragraph 4.11;

e)    note that the report to determine the timings for commencing the consultation will be received in the Spring of 2020;

f)     note the outstanding need to secure a clear response from the Government on clean vehicles funding asks;

g)   note that Highways England have not been directed to act in relation to tackling NO₂ exceedances in the same way as the Greater Manchester local authorities, and that this will leave some publicly accessible areas of GM adjacent to trunk roads managed by Highways England, with NO₂ exceedances that are not being addressed by the Highways England plan;

h)   delegate authority to The Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member Adult Care and Health and Director of Public Health to agree the final content and submission of the documents listed in Appendix One for formal submission to JAQU and note their Publication status; and

i)     delegate authority to The Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member Adult Care and Health and Director of Public Health to determine any further technical reports for formal submission to JAQU; and

j)     note that Cabinet Member Adult Care and Health will co-sign a letter from the GM Authorities to the Transport Secretary asking them to bring forward the launch of a statutory consultation to strengthen rules on vehicle idling.

Officer Contacts: Mark Glynn 0161 474 3700, Sue Stevenson 0161 474 3451, mark.glynn@stockport.gov.uk, sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care & Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the progress that has been made following the Government’s response to Greater Manchester’s Outline Business Case to tackle Nitrogen Dioxide Exceedances at the Roadside (OBC), and the implications for the 10 Greater Manchester (GM) local authorities in relation to the schedule of work and statutory consultation on the Clean Air Plan.

(NOTE: The report contained information ‘not for publication’ in its appendix that had been circulated to cabinet members only).

The Leader of the Council stated that it was important to note that the Council was required to respond to a ministerial direction to address nitrogen dioxide exceedances, and that the ten GM authorities were working together to implement a Clean Air Zone across Greater Manchester as part of its recommendations as a means of addressing the very specific issues raised within the strict timescales provided.

It was further noted that within the recommendations, there was also a desire to work with the rest of Greater Manchester to lobby the government to launch a statutory consultation on measures to address issues of vehicle idling which was a significant contributor to nitrogen dioxide exceedances.

RESOLVED – That in relation to ‘Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Plan – Tackling Nitrogen Dioxide Exceedances at the Roadside – Update’, the Cabinet has:-

·         noted progress made to date;

·         noted the ministerial direction under the Environment Act 1995 (Greater Manchester) Air Quality Direction 2019 which requires all ten of the Greater Manchester local authorities to implement a charging Clean Air Zone Class C across the region;

·         agreed the need to continue to proceed towards developing the implementation and contract arrangements of a charging Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester utilising the initial tranche of £36m of funding as required by the ministerial direction / feedback;

·         delegated authority to The Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member Adult Care and Health and Director of Public Health to determine the preparatory implementation and contract arrangements that need to be undertaken utilising the initial tranche of £36m of funding to deliver the CAZ and other GM CAP measures, as set out at paragraph 4.11;

·         noted that the report to determine the timings for commencing the consultation will be received in the Spring of 2020;

·         noted the outstanding need to secure a clear response from the Government on clean vehicles funding asks;

·         noted that Highways England have not been directed to act in relation to tackling NO2 exceedances in the same way as the Greater Manchester local authorities, and that this will leave some publicly accessible areas of GM adjacent to trunk roads managed by Highways England, with NO2 exceedances that are not being addressed by the Highways England plan;

·         delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health and Director of Public Health to agree the final content and submission of the documents listed in Appendix One for formal submission to JAQU and note their Publication status; and

·         delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health and Director of Public Health to determine any further technical reports for formal submission to JAQU; and

·         noted that Cabinet Member Adult Care and Health will co-sign a letter from the GM Authorities to the Transport Secretary asking them to bring forward the launch of a statutory consultation to strengthen rules on vehicle idling.