Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Jane March.

To receive any declarations of interest by members of the Council in items on the agenda. For any advice on declarations of interest, please contact the Monitoring Officer before the meeting.

There were no disclosable pecuniary or other significant interests declared at the meeting.

To note any members of the Council wishing to speak, of which due notice has been given in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 18, and which items they wish to speak on.

There were no visiting Members who had registered as wishing to speak.

To approve the minutes of a previous meeting as a correct record. The only issue relating to the minutes that can be discussed is their accuracy.

Members reviewed the minutes. No significant amendments were proposed.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting dated 17 January 2019 be approved as a correct record.

The Sustainability Officer, Karin Gray, presented the report. During discussion the following points were highlighted:

The consultation response rate was considered to be reasonably good and in line with the level of responses received by other authorities, such as Maidstone borough Council, to their air quality action plan consultations. 

One month’s worth of feedback had been received from the air quality sensors in Hawkhurst and this was not enough to make an assessment or decision.

The air quality levels had reduced and in the 2017 they were showing at the annual objective level of 40 micrograms per square metre (exceedance). However, there had been issues with the monitoring equipment which could mean the levels were slightly higher than the annual objective. There were peaks at rush hours in the morning and evening.

The policy for taxi emissions had been developed by Licensing in coordination with the Sustainability Officer and would feed in to the Action Plan once it was completed. The emission levels suggested for taxis were nationally recognised.

The levels were affected by the weather and this was taken into account when levels were monitored.

A major revision of the Plan would take place in 2023. There were no specific timeframes within the Plan as some of the actions were deliverable long-term. Some could be delivered in the short-term and others were dependent on budget resources.

A clean bus-fund of £36,000 had been used for two vehicles to trial emission reducing processes.

Subject to resources an app to coordinate local pick-ups for school runs could be delivered.  Resources would also be needed to further develop smart-travel opportunities which were being delivered and was a multi-agency initiative. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council was working with Kent County Council, as the contract manager for school buses, to reduce emissions in air quality management areas, but again, there were funding and resource issues.

Improving air quality and public health had gained prominence in the public mind and a modal shift, including recognition of the importance of active travel, was needed. A great deal of research on cycling and road safety was available and the Department for Transport had produced a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. A comprehensive cycling infrastructure was needed to encourage cycling. The benefit of providing cycling infrastructure in terms of health and wellbeing outweighed the cost.

Differentials in parking permit costs based on emissions would need to be contained within the parking strategy.

RESOLVED to support the recommendations in the report.

RESOLVED – That the Work Programme as at 9 January 2018 be noted.

To consider any other items which the Chairman decides are urgent, for the reasons to be stated, in accordance with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business.

To note that the date of the next scheduled meeting is Thursday 21 March 2019 6.30pm in Committee Room A, Town Hall, Tunbridge Wells.

It was noted that the date of the next scheduled meeting was Thursday 21 March 2019 at 6.30pm in Committee Room A, Town Hall, Tunbridge Wells.

 The following items were scheduled on the Forward Plan (which was subject to change) to be discussed:

The Community Safety Partnership Plan 2019/20