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There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Resources relative to the review and assessment of air quality in Renfrewshire as required in terms of the Environment Act 1995.
The report intimated that Air Quality Management Areas had to be declared where air quality assessments confirmed that statutory levels had been exceeded. The Council’s most recent air quality reports detailing monitoring and modelling work undertaken in 2014/15 had been reported to this Board on 27 January 2016 and had confirmed that air quality objective levels had been exceeded at Johnstone High Street and Renfrew town centre. Appendix 1 to the report provided details of the options considered for the establishment of wider or multiple Air Quality Management Areas within Renfrewshire together with an assessment of each option.
The report proposed that two new Air Quality Management Areas be created within Renfrewshire, in Johnstone and Renfrew. This recommendation took into account the different issues impacting on air quality within each area and the potential that this approach provided to enable the Council to develop individual Air Quality Action Plans that could address specifically the different issues in a focused way. Following Board approval, the Air Quality Management Areas would be designated by means of Orders, copies of which were attached as Appendix 2 to the report.
The report highlighted the need to review the Council’s air quality performance indicators within the Community Resources Service Improvement Plan and Community Plan Local Outcome Indicator Plan. The Council had one existing Air Quality Management Area covering Paisley town centre and a performance indicator related to maintaining or reducing this number. This target was no longer an accurate measure of progress in improving air quality in areas where air quality objective levels had been exceeded and the report suggested that this be updated and replaced with a range of improved measures being developed that would allow the Council to more accurately reflect its progress in tackling air quality. Other existing performance indicators would be retained in addition to the introduction of a new indicator concerning particulate matter (PM10).
Councillor E Devine, seconded by Councillor Gilmour, moved that the options for the declaration of Air Quality Management Areas within Renfrewshire, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, be noted; that the Air Quality Management Area Orders for each area of exceedance, as detailed within Appendix 2 to the report, be approved; that the review of air quality performance indicators be noted and that the recommendation to remove the performance indicator relating to maintaining or reducing the number of Air Quality Management Areas, retaining the other existing performance indicators and introducing a new performance indicator concerning particulate matter (PM10) be approved; and that the proposal to develop quality management areas for a range of environmental issues based on evidence of need be approved.
Councillor Audrey Doig, seconded by Councillor McGurk, moved as an amendment that an additional recommendation be added to paragraph 2.1 of the report:
"Council notes the standing policy of Renfrewshire Council that it will work with Johnstone Community Council, and the Johnstone Business Consortium, to develop solutions to the traffic management issues in Johnstone town centre, which are a major contributor to poor air quality in Johnstone High Street.
Council regrets the lack of action by the administration on this crucial issue for residents and businesses alike, and calls on options for a traffic management scheme in Johnstone Town centre to be brought to the next meeting of the Environment Board, with a timetable for both community consultation and implementation."
On the roll being called, the following members voted for the amendment: Councillors Audrey Doig, J MacLaren, K MacLaren, McGurk, Mylet and Nicolson.
The following members voted for the motion: Councillors Bibby, Caldwell, E Devine, M Devine, Gilmour, Provost Hall and Councillors I McMillan and Murrin.
6 members having voted for the amendment and 8 members having voted for the motion, the motion was accordingly declared carried.
DECIDED:
(a) That the options for the declaration of Air Quality Management Areas within Renfrewshire, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, be noted;
(b) That the Air Quality Management Area Orders for each area of exceedance, as detailed within Appendix 2 to the report, be approved;
(c) That the review of air quality performance indicators be noted and that the recommendation to remove the performance indicator relating to maintaining or reducing the number of Air Quality Management Areas, retaining the other existing performance indicators and introducing a new performance indicator concerning particulate matter (PM10) be approved; and
(d) That the proposal to develop quality management areas for a range of environmental issues based on evidence of need be approved.