Agenda item

Cathryn Brown - Licensing and Environmental Protection (B&NES)

A presentation on the Bath Clean Air Plan – Bath Breathes 2021

Gillian Risbridger – Bath Living Streets (Project Update)

Clean air champions are urging drivers to stop idling, switch off their polluting engines and help Bath’s air quality as part of a new campaign

Robin Kerr – FOBRA

An update on the air quality discussions, which have taken place at meetings arranged by MP for Bath, Wera Hobhouse

Cathryn Brown and her colleague’s presented the Bath Clean Air Plan – Bath Breathes 2021, if you wish to find more information on this then please visit the website: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/bath-breathes-2021

Cathryn explained that the forum is the first to see the updated presentation.  The three options that are set out require robust governance and are fast evolving; the documents that have been produced so far are proposals that require feedback for development.

Gillian Risbridger updated the forum on the Bath Living Streets Group Anti Idling work; this included that call for more volunteers to help with the sessions on idling and more specific skills in PR, Press Releases and Training. Details of this project and contact details are available on the website: https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/what-you-can-do/local-groups/bath

Robin Kerr explained that The Transport and Pollution Conference for Bath will take place on Saturday 9th June. This follows on from two meetings that have been hosted by Wera Hobhouse MP to bring together the facts from a number of different people and organisations. Details of how to get involved are available through this link: https://www.werahobhouse.co.uk/transport_and_pollution_conference_for_bath

Question and comments:

Cllr Dine Romero to Cathryn Brown – Odd Down is an area that is seeing pollution issues that will worsen if we do nothing; there is a need to change people behaviours and to do so by use of the carrot rather than the stick option will need consideration.

Cllr Rob Appleyard to Cathryn Brown – The work that is being carried out by officers on this project is simply carrying out the instruction of government that needs to be achieved by 2021. The scheme covers only a small part of our City, the introduction of charges will see revenues being received up until 2021, and how then do we sustain this work?

Everybody has a right to clean air, not just the City Centre. Zones are not helpful, we are getting this wrong, and we should be looking to achieve a clean City status. 

There needs to be thought to; a process for individuals that experience difficulties; understanding how the traffic moves in and through the City; the issues that low earners will experience and how the wealthiest will not be concerned.

There are commercial impacts; tourism impacts; parking issues; rat run issues. There needs to be a City wide zone that aims to give us the badge of being a clean air City.

Ben Palmer to Gillian Risbridger – Have you approached the Universities to see how they could help with volunteers for the Stop Bath Idling Campaign? There are a number of areas that could be the source for helpers including the business degree programmes.

Response – Yes, there have been approaches to both the College and Universities but these lacked success because the timing was not right.

Cathryn Brown to Gillian Risbridger – With the results that you have been seeing so far; what are the reasons from the 15% of drivers that would not comply?

Response – These have varied but none are particularly good or valid reasons. Coach drivers think that they use less fuel when idling than restarting the vehicle. An observation has been that if people are stationary on yellow lines they tend to think they won’t be enforced against if their engine is running.

Cllr Richard Samuel to Cathryn Brown – Moving away from diesel emission’s (nitrogen dioxide) has been one of the main focuses that people see as the change that is needed to tackle the air pollution issue. As people do move away from diesel; improvements are seen in the level of nitrogen dioxide but carbon dioxide levels increase which is equally as disastrous. Particles from brakes and tyres pollute from all vehicles not just the targeted ones.

The City has too many vehicles in too little space, there needs to be complimentary congestion plan that sits alongside this.

The plans will tackle nitrogen dioxide and I think that the zone covers the correct areas although rat running will be a problem.

Joe Simmonds to Cathryn Brown – Does the plan work with bus and taxi providers to keep prices from rising?

Response – We do not have any influence in setting bus operators fares but we do control taxi tariffs. Public transport is something that we have to encourage people to use.

Cllr Bob Goodman – The point that Richard Samuel makes are right, people need to change behaviours.

Cllr Dine Romero to Cathryn Brown – How does Uber’s pricing become affected?

Response – Uber is a private hire operator and the Council don’t set their tariffs.

Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall to Cathryn Brown – Could the taxi market in the City be looked at to favour our local operators rather than outside companies that travel in.

Response – This is a useful point that could be looked at.

Patrick Anketell-Jones to Cathryn Brown – WECA are key in whatever the final decision turns out to be, will they be championing further into the future?

Response – Yes WECA do need to support and endorse the final decision. South Gloucestershire and Bristol are also mandated to take action which means all of the WECA area will need long term solutions.

Nicolette Boater – I am in agreement with Richard Samuel points and yes the aim should be for lasting improvements to our air quality. Financial sustainability for this work is a concern. There will have to be behaviour change for lasting improvements to be made.

Robin Kerr – The WECA Mayor plays an important role in alternatives to the car with the provision of effective public transport. Behaviour change will mean that people have to get used to the idea of using public transport.

Virginia Williamson to Gillian Risbridger – The capturing of the idling vehicles at schools would be beneficial, the Bear Flat area sees people sat in their cars for ¾ of an hour with the engine running, and this will, no doubt, be replicated all across Bath.

Response – It was always the aim to expand the stop idling scheme to areas further than Abbey and Walcot but we will need more volunteers to make this happen.

Cllr Dine Romero to Gillian Risbridger – What is the reaction you have received from coach drivers and should we be naming and shaming the offenders?

Response – Coach Drivers are some of the trickier people that we deal with and have the poorest reasons. The council have given our group permission to collect and pass on information.

Cllr Dine Romero to Cathryn Brown – What can the Council then do?

Response – I would have to get clarity on this and will then get back to you.

Cllr Rob Appleyard – Is there any way that the coach operators tachometers would show how if the vehicles are idling?

Roger Driver to Cathryn Brown – What measures can the Council takes to influence the pricing on bus operators?  And should employers including B&NES Council) be setting out targets for their workforce to make changes to the ways that the travel?

Response – Buses are deregulated and it would take action from WECA to bus franchising. Funding subsidies to services is a way of forcing the prices down.

We are talking to operators to understand if the fares will be affected by introduction of the zones. There is funding available to fleet operators to upgrade the vehicles they are using.

B&NES Council does set out to its employee’s methods for travelling; this covers a range of options including the use of pool cars and bikes.