Issue - meetings

To request Cabinet, approve the revocation of 2 Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA’s) for Wisbech as required by the Environment Act 1995 and to receive an update regarding future air quality monitoring in Wisbech.

AGREED by Order under the Environment Act 1995 Part IV to the revocation of Air Quality Management Areas Wisbech 1 and Wisbech 2 as identified in Schedule 1 to the report, following removal of the original pollution source, and therefore securing compliance with the national statutory particulate and sulphur dioxide air quality objectives.

Members considered the Review of 2 Air Quality Management areas for Wisbech report presented by Councillor Wallwork.

Councillor Wallwork said following concerns raised by some residents she would like to stress that this is unrelated to the incoming Wisbech incinerator, which will have separate air quality monitoring procedures in place. This is simply to do with a coal fired boiler once operating in Lynn Road that has long been decommissioned, hence it is a requirement of DEFRA that these two air quality management areas are removed.

Councillor Hoy said she had also queried why the AQMAs were being removed if the incinerator is being built and thanked Councillor Wallwork for her clarification. However, she had noted MVV’s own air quality management proposals within the report and was concerned to see that they will be assessing this themselves. Despite understanding it is a legal procedure, she would like to review this going forward and perhaps see a later report at Cabinet about what this authority is doing on MVV and air quality. Whilst she appreciates that MVV will have to provide the Council with access to their data, she is concerned that they will be responsible for managing the air quality monitoring data themselves.

Councillor Wallwork said there will be a host of monitoring processes and MVV will not be left to their own devices. There are already 19 in place to deal with traffic pollution, and the Council’s Environmental Health team have already had input into what they would like to see. Councillor Hoy thanked Councillor Wallwork and said although she had no doubt that officers were dealing impeccably with the whole incinerator process, she felt that the public do not necessarily know this work going on in the background and perhaps a way can be found to get that message out. Councillor Boden agreed that having this as an agenda item for a future Cabinet meeting could be helpful for information purposes.

Proposed by Councillor Wallwork, seconded by Councillor Miscandlon and AGREED by Order under the Environment Act 1995 Part IV to the revocation of Air Quality Management Areas Wisbech 1 and Wisbech 2 as identified in Schedule 1 to the report, following removal of the original pollution source, and therefore securing compliance with the national statutory particulate and sulphur dioxide air quality objectives.