Issue - meetings

There will be an update presentation (no report) as this meeting is during the consultation period for the Bath Air Quality Action Plan.

Cath Brown, Team Manager Health and Environment and Robin Spalding, Senior Public Protection Officer (Environmental Monitoring) introduced the item to the Panel and gave a presentation which covered the following:

·  Bath Air Quality Action Plan and National Air Quality Action Plan Feasibility Study

·  The Issues we face

·  Bath Air Quality Action Plan Review and Update 2017/18

·  Air Quality Management Area

·  Air Quality Action Plan in Bath

·  Annual average NO2 levels at hotspots (2016)

·  Which vehicles contribute how much NOx emissions?

·  Proposed Actions

·  Themes

·  Consultation Process

·  Post Consultation

·  Feasibility Study for the National Air Quality Plan

·  The National Air Quality Plan for Nitrogen Dioxide

·  New legal duty

·  Dates

·  Feasibility Study

·  Risks

·  Opportunities

Panel members made the following points and asked the following questions on the local context:

Councillor Bull asked what was new in this plan that was not in the existing one. The officer pointed the Panel to the consultation document including a list of measures developed with stakeholder groups.

Councillor Ball stated that linking traffic lights would help as traffic would flow through quicker. The officer agreed that traffic signal sequencing plays an important role and has been referred to Highways.

Councillor Gilchrist asked if the Council had a policy on electric cars. The officer stated the Council has been waiting for the outcome of some trials which will include options (such as sockets in lampposts) regarding electric cars.

Councillor Bull asked if it was possible to do anything unless a clean air zone is adopted, the officer stated that this would be controversial and the public would need to see evidence, traffic surveys are being undertaken to gather evidence.

Panel members made the following points and asked the following questions on the National Plan:

Councillor Hale asked if there are plans for any other areas outside the city. The officer stated that there are other areas of concern and measures can be considered but this must not delay the London Road issue.

Councillor Turner asked about data mining. The officer explained that he could ask contractors about this.

Councillor Butters stated that the data on London Road was hard to interpret and asked if there will be a further survey. The officer stated that there will be surveys for the feasibility study and also the Air Quality annual status report and there will also be ANPR data.

The Chair thanked the officers and asked them to report back in March 2018.