Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations from the meetings of the Cabinet held on 23^rd July 2025 and 10^th September 2025.

Members are asked to note that there was one further recommendation made at the Cabinet meeting held on 10^th September 2025 in respect of Urgent Business. This recommendation has already been agreed as an urgent decision on 16^th September 2025. A copy of the urgent decision can be viewed at item 7 on this agenda.

Members were asked to note that in addition to the recommendations considered at this meeting there was one further recommendation made at the Cabinet meeting held on 10^th September 2025 in respect of the Extension to the Consultation Period for Bromsgrove District Council’s Local Plan. This recommendation had already been agreed in accordance with the Council’s Urgency Procedure Rules on 16^th September 2025, as discussed earlier in the meeting and therefore would not be debated under this item.

Revocation of the Bromsgrove Road and Lickey End Air Quality Management Area (AQMA)

During consideration of this item, the Standing Orders were suspended until the end of the Council meeting in order to allow the Technical Services Manager from Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) to speak on this technical report, if necessary.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services presented the report for Members’ consideration. In doing so the following was highlighted:

• This report was good news for the District as it indicated an improvement in air quality within the AQMAs at these locations. It was necessary under legislation that if air quality within AQMAs improved consistently then the AQMA would need to be revoked.
• The improvement in air quality might be attributed to several factors including a decrease in traffic and increase in the use of electric vehicles and improvements in efficiency of diesel engine technology.
• Monitoring of locations continued even when AQMAs were being revoked. If any changes to the data were identified, there would be a review of the revocation of the AQMA at these sites.

Members queried how the continued monitoring would be undertaken in the future. The Technical Services Manager for WRS reported that there were three strands to delivery of the monitoring and air quality management work. These were as follows:

1. Diffusion tube networks would remain at the sites and would provide data in order to monitor levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO²). This monitoring equipment was also located at other sites within the District.
2. There were three real time air quality monitoring devices within the District.
3. An Air Quality Strategy was being developed currently in order to tackle air quality in areas within the District that were not subject to an AQMA. This was alongside a ‘behaviour change’ project currently underway across the County.

Members were keen to understand, if monitoring, as detailed above, was still due to be undertaken, how this would be different to the AQMA monitoring currently taking place? It was stated that there would not be the need for formal reporting of the monitoring data collected at these sites which currently was reported to DEFRA. However, the monitoring would remain.

The issue of particulate matter was raised and the monitoring that was currently in place for this type of air pollution. Some Members felt that an increase in this type of monitoring would be greatly beneficial for the District and could potentially be implemented as a community investment project ahead of Local Government Reorganisation. It was felt that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53