Agenda item

A report from Councillor Alan Quinn, Cabinet Member for the Environment is attached.

Councillor Quinn, Cabinet Member for the Environment submitted a report setting out the progress that has been made following the Government’s response to Greater Manchester’s Outline Business Case to tackle Nitrogen Dioxide Exceedances at the Roadside, and the implications for the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities in relation to the schedule of work and statutory consultation on the Clean Air Plan.

Councillor Quinn reported that the Government has instructed many local authorities across the UK to take quick action to reduce harmful Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).  In Greater Manchester, the 10 local authorities, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Transport for Greater Manchester, are working together to develop a Clean Air Plan to tackle NO2 Exceedances at the Roadside. 

Delegated decision

Cabinet agrees to:

a)   note progress made to date;

b)   note the ministerial direction under the Environment Act 1995 (Greater Manchester) Air Quality Direction 2019 which requires all ten of the Greater Manchester local authorities to implement a charging Clean Air Zone Class C across the region;

c) agree the need to continue to proceed towards developing the implementation and contract arrangements of a charging Clean Air Zone in Greater Manchester utilising the initial tranche of £36m of funding as required by the ministerial direction / feedback;

d)   delegate authority to the Cabinet member for the Environment portfolio, Cllr Alan Quinn, in consultation with the Executive Director of Operations and the S 151 Officer to determine the preparatory implementation and contract arrangements that need to be undertaken utilising the initial tranche of £36m of funding to deliver the CAZ and other GM Clean Air Plan measures, as set out at paragraph 3.11;

e) note that the report to determine the timings for commencing the consultation will be received in a further report to Cabinet in the Spring of 2020;

f)   note the outstanding need to secure a clear response from the Government on clean vehicles funding asks;

g)   note that Highways England have not been directed to act in relation to tackling NO2 exceedances in the same way as the Greater Manchester local authorities, and that this will leave some publicly accessible areas of GM adjacent to trunk roads managed by Highways England, with NO2 exceedances that are not being addressed by the Highways England plan;

h)   delegate authority to the Cabinet member for the Environment portfolio, Cllr Alan Quinn, in consultation with the Executive Director of Operations to agree the final content and submission of the documents listed in Appendix One for formal submission to the Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) and note their Publication status;

i)    delegate authority to Cabinet member for the Environment portfolio, Cllr Alan Quinn, in consultation with the Executive Director of Operations to determine any further technical reports for formal submission to JAQU; and

j)    note that Cllr Alan Quinn, Environment Portfolio Holder will co-sign a letter from the GM Authorities to the Transport Secretary asking  to bring forward the launch of a statutory consultation to strengthen rules on vehicle idling.

Reason for the decision:

The proposals in this paper are in line with GMCA plans previously presented to Cabinet.  They are within GMCA’s funding envelope.