Agenda item

Report No: LIC/SE/17/012

[Councillor Margaret Marks declared a pecuniary interest - owns a rental house on Withersfield Road, Haverhill, and remained in the meeting during the discussion and voting].

Councillor Diane Hind, Ward Member for Northgate addressed the Committee in respect of this item and asked the Committee to also consider recommending BSE9 Fornham Road (Tollgate) as a designated Air Quality Management Area.  She explained that the air quality was just below the 40 mark when bias adjusted, but was the third worst of the monitored areas in St Edmundsbury.  The two greater areas other than the Tollgate junction, were two adjacent sections (BSE1 and BSE15) along Sicklesmere Road (42.1 and 41.5), which could only be regarded as one location on the plan, and BSE6 Kings Road roundabout (41.5). The specially monitored area was “The Street, Gt Barton”, GB4 (37.9 in 2016 - down from 40.9 in 2015).  She stated that the others areas might not get worse but BSE 9 would, as the waste hub and the Marham Park development would generate more traffic at the Tollgate.  She was concerned not just for the residents who lived adjacent to the junction but also the cyclists and pedestrians who also suffered the high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide.  She then explained that one month was not recorded but out of the other 11 months 10 were over 40.  Four of those were over 50 at 56.8, 59.2 50.6 and 54.1.  She stated that a similar report had been presented to the Sustainable Development Work Party last year at whcich she had drawn this to that Committee’s attention.  The trend was moving upward at Tollgate, because in 2015  nine recordings were over 40 and three were over 50 (57.4  50.6 and 57.3).  She respectfully requested that the Committee be proactive and ask that BSE9 be designated an Air Quality Management Area now before the situation worsens.

Councillor David Nettleton, Ward Member for Risbygate addressed the Committee in respect of this item.  He provided some background regarding a planning application DC/16/0267/FUL when Havebury wanted to build 36 apartments behind the Beerhouse on the corner of Tayfen Road and Station Hill.  An objection was made by the Council’s Environment Officer on grounds of air quality as there were over 15,000 vehicle movements a day on this narrow section of Tayfen Road.  The matter was eventually resolved after a full report and conditions had been imposed.  He felt this was an indicator that the car was threatening housing growth and public health, and that “we were sitting on a ticking time-bomb” as the Sicklesmere Road survey had indicated, and urgent action was needed to reduce the use of cars. 

The Committee received Report No: LIC/SE/17/012, which reported on work undertaken during 2016 to meet Local Air Quality Regulations across the Borough.

For the majority of the Borough, it was reported that air quality remained good and continued to show a long-term trend of slight year-on-year improvement.  However, officers continued to undertake detailed monitoring and increased monitoring in Bury St Edmunds during 2016, compared to 2015, to ensure that monitoring covered all areas of possible concern.  All but three monitored locations in St Edmundsbury Borough Council were below the national objectives for nitrogen dioxide in 2016.  Two of these exceedances were recorded on Sicklesmere Road, Bury St Edmunds, including the highest recorded value, where an annual average value of 42.1 microgrammes per metre cubed was recorded.  The other exceedance was located at the junction of Parkway and Kings Road.  However, when adjusted to the façade of the closest residential structure this location was below the objective and therefore no further assessment was required in this location.

Monitoring began at Sicklesmere Road in 2015 in order to assess the impact of the south-east Bury St Edmunds strategic development site. Given that an exceedance had been recorded on Sicklesmere Road for two consecutive years an Air Quality Management Area should, in line with statutory guidance, be in place at this location.  Although a significant improvement of the local air quality was anticipated at this location when the Bury St Edmunds south east strategic development site delivered its planned ‘spine’ road, it was considered that the declaration of an Air Quality Management Area would be beneficial so that interim solutions could be explored.  A designation would also ensure that a legal framework for action would be in place should the strategic development site not progress at the rate initially planned.

Attached at Appendix 1 to the report was the area affected by the proposed Air Quality Management on Sicklesmere Road, Bury St Edmunds. Given the relatively small area and limited number of dwellings officers were recommending a ‘fast track’ declaration which did not require a full scale consultation, but required direct engagement with those directly affected together with key stakeholders.  Subject to the engagement, a declaration would be brought to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee for consideration in a separate report.

The Committee was asked to consider the work undertaken in order to improve local air quality in West Suffolk, and to give consideration to the principle of designating an Air Quality Management Area on Sicklesmere Road, Bury St Edmunds based on monitoring and assessment carried out by the Council.

The Committee considered the report in detail and asked a number of questions to which responses were provided.  In particular discussions were held on the impact of traffic lights verses roundabouts regarding air quality; as well as the benefits of having more greenery by having the right trees to help improve air quality, particularly when considering planning applications and the arboricultural elements.  

In response to a particular question raised, members were informed that there had been an improvement against the air quality objective for BSE 9 (Fornham Road/Tollgate).  The annual figure showed for 2016 had taken into account the pollutant objectives and the adjustment had allowed for the missing data as highlighted by Councillor Hind. Officers were also working with highway’s colleagues to reduce air pollution. 

Councillor Beccy Hopfensperger informed the Committee that she supported Councillor Hind’s suggestion of extending the air quality management to Fornham Road, and then questioned whether the Council’s Environment Officer commented on planning applications and changes to highway’s infrastructure.

In response, the Committee was advised that an Air Quality Assessment (AQA) was carried out at Marham Park when the planning application was submitted, and as an outcome the Tollgate junctions were currently being remodelled due to the information contained within the AQA.  With regard to Tayfen Road, the Environment Officer advised that he had not yet commented on the proposed changes to the highway’s infrastructure.

The Service Manager (Environmental Health) informed the Committee that the Council was lobby for change and improvements in air quality.  He also explained that it was in the gift of the Committee to also lobby other agencies, and suggested it might wish to write to Suffolk County Council Highways to lobby to undertake infrastructure improvements to improve air quality.  Officers also looked at the implications of  air quality on all planning applications and would robustly test those models.

It was then proposed by Councillor Richard Rout, seconded by Councillor Sarah Broughton and with the vote being unanimous, it was

          RESOLVED:

          That:

1)   The work undertaken in order to improve local air quality in West Suffolk be noted:

2)   The principle of designating an Air Quality Management Area on Sicklesmere Road, Bury St Edmunds based on monitoring and assessment carried out by council officers, be endorsed.