Issue - meetings
Recommendations from the Executive Cabinet
Meeting: 25/04/2018 - Council (Item 102)
102 Recommendations from the Cabinet 
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To consider the recommendations from the meeting(s) of the Cabinet held on 7th March 2018 and 11th April 2018.
Minutes:
Air Quality Management Area – Kidderminster Road, Hagley
The recommendation from Cabinet in respect of the Air Quality Management Area, Kidderminster Road, Hagley was proposed by Councillor P. J. Whittaker and seconded by Councillor G. Denaro.
In proposing the recommendation Councillor Whittaker, as Portfolio Holder for Regulatory Services, presented the report and in so doing highlighted that this matter had been debated in detail at both the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting and again at Cabinet and therefore he did not propose to go into detail.
Members discussed a number of areas in more detail, including:
· The data within the report was only up to 2016 and concerns were raised that a decision should not be made until more up to date data was available as due to a number of new developments in the area there was the potential for the traffic and therefore the air quality, to have changed in that period.
· The type of monitoring that was undertaken and recent news reports were highlighted in respect of the dangers in other areas which were proving to be more harmful to people’s health.
· The use of variable messaging systems to redirect vehicles away from the AQMA – it appeared that there was new technology which could be used but that there had been no progress on this since 2016.
· Concerns were raised in respect of a previous AQMA which had been in Rubery which had been revoked due to a decrease in traffic, however due to recent developments in the area Members were concerned that there was the likelihood that this would need to be reinstated and requested that this was looked at as a matter of urgency. The Leader agreed to take this matter up with the WRS Officers outside of the meeting.
· The need for monitoring to continue – it was explained that whilst the AQMA would be revoked monitoring would continue and that the WRS Officers had discussed with the relevant ward councillor particular areas which should be monitored.
· The need for that monitoring to be more detailed and in more appropriate locations. It was noted that Cabinet had agreed to look at the costings for this to take place.
· The current levels were below those required by the Defra guidelines and therefore Defra would not look upon the Council favourably in the future should they continue to have what they would class as an unnecessary AQMA.
· It was suggested that a decision in respect of the revocation of this Kidderminster Road, Hagley AQMA be deferred until further information had been received in respect of more detailed and regular data collection and the cost implications of alternative methods.
· The recommendations made at the Overview and Scrutiny Board had been considered by Cabinet and they had agreed to investigate the potential for further, more detailed, monitoring in both Hagley and other areas throughout the District.
Councillor Peter McDonald proposed that an amendment was made to ensure that air quality in Rubery was monitored and following the ... view the full minutes text for item 102