Agenda and minutes

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

To report any urgent action taken under the Constitution since the last meeting of the Cabinet.

No urgent decisions were reported.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair and Cabinet Members on any matters within the powers and duties of the Cabinet, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.  (Questions must be submitted no later than 30 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting on the card provided.  These are available at the meeting. You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions)

No public questions were submitted.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Stockport.

The report sets out the progress that has been made on the development of Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Plan following the decision that the GM Local Authorities will move to a statutory public consultation on the GM Clean Air Plan as soon as reasonably practicable in light of COVID-19 restrictions, and the link to taxi and private hire common minimum licensing standards. The report also considers the formal governance mechanisms that will underpin the delivery of a GM Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and the supporting measures.

This report is not seeking a decision on whether to introduce a scheme as that has been mandated by the Secretary of State. It is setting out a position for consultation on the daily charge, discounts and exemptions of a Category C GM Clean Air Zone, and the proposals for the supporting funds that have been developed taking stakeholder engagement and statistical modelling into account. It is seeking agreement to consult and endorsement of the policy for consultation. The policy will be reviewed in line with the findings from the statutory consultation.

The Cabinet is recommended to:-

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

(2)       Note that TfGM have confirmation that the funding award for Bus Retrofit should be distributed as soon as possible as per arrangements put in place for the Clean Bus Technology Funds;

(3)       Note the update on the possible impacts of COVID-19 on the GM Clean Air Plan;

(4)       Agree that Stockport Council along with the other nine GM local Authorities hold an 8-week public consultation on the GM Clean Air Plan commencing in October 2020;

(5)       Note that the GM local Authorities intend to consult on GM’s proposed Minimum Licensing Standards, alongside the Clean Air Plan consultation;

(6)       Agree that TfGM act as the Operating Body for the GM CAZ and supporting measures as set out at paragraph 9.5;

(7)       Agree that Stockport Council along with the other nine GM Authorities individually be a ‘charging authority’ for the purposes of the CAZ, pursuant to the Transport Act 2000;

(8)       Endorse the GM Clean Air Plan Policy for Consultation at Appendix 3;

(9)       Note the Equalities Impact Assessment on the Clean Air Plan, as set out at Appendix 5;

(10)    Note that further reports will be brought forward to set out the formal governance mechanisms that will underpin the delivery of a GM Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and the supporting measures, including the full scope of the suite of powers that will be  needed to be delegated to the Operating Body;

(11)    Agree a delegation to Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health and Director of Public Health to approve the submission of the cases for measures to the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit to support the GM Clean Air Plan;

(12)    Agree a delegation to Corporate Director of Place Management and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health and Director of Public Health  to approve the GM Clean Air Plan consultation materials, to include the Equalities Impact Assessment on the consultation; and

(13)    Note that the response to DfT’s Decarbonising Transport – setting the challenge, as set out at Appendix 1, has been submitted to Government.

(14)    Note that the consultation sets the proposed boundary of the Clean Air Zone to exclude the A555 from the junction with the B5166 in the west to the junction with A523 in the east, as outlined at paragraph 4.17.

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

The Cabinet Members for Adult Care & Health and Sustainable Stockport submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the progress that had been made on the development of Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Plan following the decision that the GM Local Authorities will move to a statutory public consultation on the GM Clean Air Plan as soon as reasonably practicable in light of COVID-19 restrictions, and the link to taxi and private hire common minimum licensing standards. The report also considered the formal governance mechanisms that will underpin the delivery of a GM Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and the supporting measures.

RESOLVED – The Cabinet has:-

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

(2)       Noted that TfGM have confirmation that the funding award for Bus Retrofit should be distributed as soon as possible as per arrangements put in place for the Clean Bus Technology Funds;

(3)       Noted the update on the possible impacts of COVID-19 on the GM Clean Air Plan;

(4)       Agreed that Stockport Council along with the other nine GM local Authorities hold n 8-week public consultation on the GM Clean Air Plan commencing in October 2020;

(5)       Noted that the GM local Authorities intend to consult on GM’s proposed Minimum Licensing Standards, alongside the Clean Air Plan consultation;

(6)       Agreed that TfGM act as the Operating Body for the GM CAZ and supporting measures as set out at paragraph 9.5;

(7)       Agreed that Stockport Council along with the other nine GM Authorities individually be a ‘charging authority’ for the purposes of the CAZ, pursuant to the Transport Act 2000;

(8)       Endorsed the GM Clean Air Plan Policy for Consultation at Appendix 3;

(9)       Noted the Equalities Impact Assessment on the Clean Air Plan, as set out at Appendix 5;

(10)    Noted that further reports will be brought forward to set out the formal governance mechanisms that will underpin the delivery of a GM Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and the supporting measures, including the full scope of the suite of powers that will be needed to be delegated to the Operating Body;

(11)    Agreed a delegation 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 approve the submission of the cases for measures to the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit to support the GM Clean Air Plan;

(12)    Agreed a delegation 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 approve the GM Clean Air Plan consultation materials, to include the Equalities Impact Assessment on the consultation; and

(13)    Noted that response to DfT’s Decarbonising Transport – setting the challenge, as set out at Appendix 1, has been submitted to Government.

(14)    Noted that the consultation sets the proposed boundary of the Clean Air Zone to exclude the A555 from the junction with the B5166 in the west to the junction with A523 in the east, as outlined at paragraph 4.17.

On:-

(a)  Matters (if any) referred to the Cabinet Meeting

(b)  Any called-in Cabinet Executive Decisions

There were no recommendations to consider.