Issue - meetings

Cabinet Members: Travel & Development Strategy; Climate Change Delivery & Environment; Highway Management

Forward Plan Ref: 2023/051

Contacts: Joe Kay, Strategic Transport Lead, joseph.kay@oxfordshire.gov.uk; Katharine Eveleigh, Health Improvement Practitioner, katharine.eveleigh@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CA10).

To seek approval of the OCC Air Quality Strategy.

Cabinet are RECOMMENDED to

Approve the Oxfordshire County Council Air Quality Strategy and Route Map for launch on Clean Air Day (15^th June 2023). 

Recommendations accepted.

Cabinet had before it a report which provided an overview of the Oxfordshire County Council Air Quality Strategy. It summarised the background to the strategy, development process and content of the strategy.

Peter West addressed the Cabinet and referred to Item 31 of the “Oxfordshire County Council Air Quality Strategy Route Map” which stated  that the council should: “work with a range of data sources to understand the air quality impacts of LTNs and take action to mitigate any negative impacts identified.” He considered that the council did not understand the implications of the negative impacts or chose to ignore them.

Mr West gave a number of examples including the Cowley and East Oxford LTNs and in Headington where illegal NO2 levels on roads adjacent to LTNs were not being taken into account by the Council and said that that air quality monitors had been installed in the wrong places. Mr West asked that Council respond to his questions which raised concerns that the objectives within the Council’s Air Quality Strategy was not being applied in certain of its projects.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, introduced the report.  He referred to the importance of public health as key priority within the Council’s policies and outlined how the Air Quality Strategy would be a key element in delivering these objectives.

During discussion, members made the following points:-

·       The Council was not ignoring air quality monitoring data.  The results of data collection exercises would form part of report for full consideration by the Cabinet in due course

·       The Headington LTN scheme was not being progressed at the current time.

·       The Council recognised issues concerning air quality in specific areas of the County due to traffic congestion

·       The Air Quality Strategy would help deliver transport and place planning policies across the County

·       The importance of working with partners including district councils and community initiatives

Councillor Sudbury moved and Councillor O’Connor seconded the recommendations, and they were approved.

RESOLVED to approve the Oxfordshire County Council Air Quality Strategy and Route Map for launch on Clean Air Day (15^th June 2023).