Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report of the Cabinet Members for Resources, Commissioning & Governance; Adult Care & Health and Sustainable Stockport.

The report sets out the proposed Greater Manchester (GM) Final Clean Air Plan (CAP) and policy following a review of all of the information gathered through the GM CAP consultation and wider data, evidence and modelling work which is to be agreed by the ten Greater Manchester local authorities.

The Cabinet is recommended to give approval to the package of 20 recommendations as detailed within the report.

Officer contact: Mark Glynn on 0161-474-3700 or email: mark.glynn@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the proposed Greater Manchester (GM) Final Clean Air Plan (CAP) and policy following a review of all of the information gathered through the GM CAP consultation and wider data, evidence and modelling work which is to be agreed by the ten Greater Manchester local authorities.

RESOLVED – That with regard to the Greater Manchester Final Clean Air Plan, the Cabinet has:-

(1) Noted the progress of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan;

(2) Noted the progress in the distribution of Bus Retrofit funding;

(3) Noted Ministers’ agreement to include the sections of the A628/A57 in Tameside which form part of the Strategic Road Network within the Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and their request for Tameside MBC, TfGM and Highways England to establish the most appropriate solution for the charging mechanism to be applied on this section of the Strategic Road Network (SRN);

(4) Approved the GM Clean Air Plan Policy, at Appendix 1 noting that the policy outlines the boundary, discounts, exemptions, daily charges of the Clean Air Zone as well as the financial support packages offered towards upgrading to a compliant vehicle, including the eligibility criteria to be applied.

(5) Agreed the Equalities Impact Assessment, as set out at Appendix 2;

(6) Agreed the AECOM Consultation Report, as set out at Appendix 3;

(7) Agreed the proposed Response to the Consultation at Appendix 4 which has been prepared by TfGM on behalf of the ten GM local authorities;

(8) Agreed the Impacts of COVID-19 Report, as set out at Appendix 5;

(9) Agreed the Modelling report of the final CAP package, as set out at Appendix 6, and in particular that the modelling outputs of the final plan scheme show the achievement of compliance with the legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide in the shortest possible time and by 2024 at the latest as required by the Ministerial Direction;

(10) Agreed the economic implications of the CAP Report, as set out at Appendix 7;

(11) Noted the update on the GM Minimum Licensing Standards, set out in section 3.1, and in particular that licensing conditions will not be used to support delivery of the GM Clean Air Plan;

(12) Approved a 6-week public consultation on the inclusion of motorhomes classified as MSP1 in the GM Clean Air Zone and on the inclusion of the A575 and A580 at Worsley commencing on 1 September 2021 and delegate authority to the Corporate Director (Place) and Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member with portfolio responsibility for Clean Air and Director of Public Health to approve the consultation materials;

(13) Noted that the GM Clean Air Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to make the Charging Scheme Order which establishes the GM Charging Scheme in line with the agreed GM Clean Air Plan Policy;

(14) Noted that the GM Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to vary the Charging Scheme Order if this is established as the most appropriate charging mechanism to be applied on sections of the A628/A57 part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in Tameside;

(15) Noted that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to agree the final form of the Operational Agreement for the Central Clean Air Service, and to authorise the making of the Agreement, on behalf of the ten GM local authorities;

(16) Noted that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to:

(a)       establish and distribute the funds set out in the agreed GM Clean Air Plan policy;

(b)       approve the assessment mechanism agreed with JAQU to ensure that Clean Air Funds can be adapted if necessary;

(c)        keep the use of the funds under review and to determine any changes in the amounts allocated to each and their use and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4

To consider a joint report of the Cabinet Members for Resources, Commissioning & Governance; Adult Care & Health and Sustainable Stockport.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning and Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the proposed Greater Manchester Final Clean Air Plan (CAP) and policy following a review of all of the information gathered through the GM CAP consultation and wider data, evidence and modelling work which is to be agreed by the ten Greater

Manchester local authorities.

RESOLVED – That the Cabinet be recommended to give approval to the following:-

(1) Note the progress of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan;

(2) Note the progress in the distribution of Bus Retrofit funding;

(3) Note Ministers’ agreement to include the sections of the A628/A57 in Tameside which form part of the Strategic Road Network within the Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and their request for Tameside MBC, TfGM and Highways England to establish the most appropriate solution for the charging mechanism to be applied on this section of the Strategic Road Network (SRN);

(4) Approve the GM Clean Air Plan Policy, at Appendix 1 noting that the policy outlines the boundary, discounts, exemptions, daily charges of the Clean Air Zone as well as the financial support packages offered towards upgrading to a compliant vehicle, including the eligibility criteria to be applied.

(5) Agree the Equalities Impact Assessment, as set out at Appendix 2;

(6) Agree the AECOM Consultation Report, as set out at Appendix 3;

(7) Agree the proposed Response to the Consultation at Appendix 4 which has been prepared by TfGM on behalf of the ten GM local authorities;

(8) Agree the Impacts of COVID-19 Report, as set out at Appendix 5;

(9) Agree the Modelling report of the final CAP package, as set out at Appendix 6, and in particular that the modelling outputs of the final plan scheme show the achievement of compliance with the legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide in the shortest possible time and by 2024 at the latest as required by the Ministerial Direction;

(10) Agree the economic implications of the CAP Report, as set out at Appendix 7;

(11) Note the update on the GM Minimum Licensing Standards, set out in section 3.1, and in particular that licensing conditions will not be used to support delivery of the GM Clean Air Plan;

(12) Approve a 6-week public consultation on the inclusion of motorhomes classified as MSP1 in the GM Clean Air Zone and on the inclusion of the A575 and A580 at Worsley commencing on 1 September 2021 and delegate authority to the Corporate Director (Place) and Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member with portfolio responsibility for Clean Air and Director of Public Health to approve the consultation materials;

(13) Note that the GM Clean Air Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to make the Charging Scheme Order which establishes the GM Charging Scheme in line with the agreed GM Clean Air Plan Policy;

(14) Note that the GM Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to vary the Charging Scheme Order if this is established as the most appropriate charging mechanism to be applied on sections of the A628/A57 part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in Tameside;

(15) Note that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to agree the final form of the Operational Agreement for the Central Clean Air Service, and to authorise the making of the Agreement, on behalf of the ten GM local authorities;

(16) Note that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to:

(a)       establish and distribute the funds set out in the agreed GM    Clean Air Plan policy;

(b)       approve the assessment mechanism agreed with JAQU to     ensure that Clean Air Funds can be adapted if necessary;

(c)       keep the use of the funds under review and to determine any            changes in the amounts allocated to each and their use and

(d)       Monitor and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4

To consider a report of the Corporate Director (Place).

The Corporate Director (Place) & Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the proposed Greater Manchester (GM) Final Clean Air Plan (CAP) and policy following a review of all of the information gathered through the GM CAP consultation and wider data, evidence and modelling work which is to be agreed by the ten Greater

Manchester local authorities.

Representatives of the Economy & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee were also present at the meeting to participate in the discussion on this item in view of the cross-portfolio nature of the GM Clean Air Plan.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) and the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Stockport (Councillor Sheila Bailey) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was disappointing that the government had rejected a Hardship Fund to further support businesses on the grounds that they did not consider that such a fund was the best way to mitigate against the impact of uncertainty due to the pandemic.

·         It would have been beneficial for clean air schemes to have been co-ordinated nationally rather than on a local authority level as this may lead to a degree of confusion amongst motorists unfamiliar with the rules surrounding each scheme.

·         It was confirmed that vehicles would not be charged a second time for crossing a local authority boundary within Greater Manchester area.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the inflexibility of the charging mechanism around midnight which would result in a vehicle being charged twice should they happen to start their journey on one day and finish on the second.  It was suggested that there may be unforeseen consequences to this approach that may for example result in vehicles speeding to avoid a further charge.

·         There needed to be a clear communications policy with residents so that the scheme was widely understood.

·         It was important that businesses were made aware of the funds available to them to support them with the compliance of their vehicles.

·         The overall GM Clear Air Plan was broadly welcomed and the consultation was considered to be thorough and had been engaged with well by residents.

·         There was a limited window of opportunity to amend the locations of any of the repeater signs and members were encouraged to contact officers as soon as possible if there were any concerns as the specific locations of these.

·         It was not proposed to provide for a moratorium on the imposition of fines associated with commencement of the zone.

·         It was intended that any income received form the scheme should be used to fund the operation of the zone, and any surplus would be returned to the general transportation budget.

·         Mobile ANPR vehicles would be used if any issue was found with regard to the displacement of traffic trying to avoid fixed camera locations pending the installation of fixed cameras.

·         Motorists would have a period of time to pay the charge before a fine would be levied.

·         Concern was expressed that the signage that was proposed to be erected did not make it clear what category of vehicle would be subject to charging.  In response it was stated that the content and design of the signage was largely prescribed by government.

·         It was important to note that cars were exempt from any proposed charges.  It was queried whether there was a guarantee that private vehicles would never be subject to charges under this scheme,  In response, it was stated that the modelling undertaken in Greater Manchester concluded that it was only necessary to include the proposed categories of vehicles within the scope of the scheme and that unless there was a change in legislation it would not be necessary to expand this further.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the range of delegations afforded to Greater Manchester with regard  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2