Minutes:
The motion was moved by Councillor Daniel Holden and seconded by Councillor Abdul Latif.
The Labour amendment as set out in agenda item 19 was moved by Councillor Ross Garrod and seconded by Councillor Martin Whelton.
Councillor Mary-Jane Jeanes spoke on the item.
The Labour amendment was put to a vote and was carried – votes in favour: 37, votes against: 19, abstentions: 0.
The substantive motion (as amended) was then put to a vote and was carried – votes in favour: 37, votes against: 0, abstentions: 19.
RESOLVED: That this Council welcomes the public meeting held recently by local campaign group, Clean Air Merton, to discuss how best to tackle the serious problem of air pollution in the borough which is part of a London-wide and indeed global problem as acknowledged by a key note Speaker at the meeting, Andrea Lee, Healthy Air Campaigner for ClientEarth, who said: “Without national action, there is not much hope for local action to succeed.” Council also welcomes the work the council’s Air Quality Steering Group has undertaken to draft Merton’s updated Air Quality Action Plan 2017-2022 which will shortly be out to public consultation. Council notes with concern that:
1) Over 12,000 people in Merton are estimated to be exposed to unacceptable levels of pollution, and nationally more than 38 million people, or 59.3% of the UK population, are living in areas where levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution are above legal limits;
2) Various locations in Colliers Wood (Western Road and Colliers Wood High Street), Mitcham (London Road and Church Road), Morden (Crown Lane and London Road) and Wimbledon (The Ridgway, Merton Road and Haydons Road) exceed the legal nitrogen dioxide legal annual limit of 40 ug/m3, as do various locations in every single London borough. Council welcomes the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s plans to establish an ultra low emissions zone;
3) 13 out of the 390 nurseries, schools, further education colleges and after schools clubs across the borough are situated in areas where the levels of nitrogen oxide from traffic exceeds the annual legal limit, which at 3% is a lower percentage than our neighbouring boroughs of Kingston, Wandsworth, Richmond and Croydon but slightly above Sutton at 2%, and reflects a nationwide problem with more than 2,000 schools around England and Wales located near roads with illegal and dangerous levels of emissions from diesel cars. This council welcomes the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s decision to fund new ‘air quality audits’ for the 50 most affected primary schools in London that will identify new hard-hitting measures to protect pupils from poor air quality; and
4) Plans submitted to Merton Council for construction of a concrete batching plant at Waterside Way have led to a large number of objections citing the potential adverse impact on the air quality in neighbouring residential streets and at the nearby primary school and children's playground. An air quality assessment has been submitted as part of the application and it will be considered by the Planning Applications Committee in the usual manner, with impact on surrounding traffic and air quality planning concerns that will be taken into account.
Emissions from road traffic, specifically diesel emissions, have been identified as a major source of pollution in the borough and nationally and this Council recognises that Merton has sought in recent years to address levels of air pollution by encouraging local motorists to switch to less polluting vehicles. This has been through various measures, including the installation of a network of electric vehicle charging points; a reduction in the cost of parking permits for electric cars; provision of more on-street cycle parking facilities; and a year’s free membership to an electric car club for Merton residents. However the most innovative and far reaching policy decision the council has taken has been to implement a new diesel surcharge that recognises the disproportionate impact of diesel vehicles on air quality. Council is pleased that the Mayor of London is considering whether similar moves could be made on a pan-London level.
However, this Council understands that, whilst local authorities are already responsible for improving air quality in their area, under the government’s proposed new air quality plan they will now be expected “to develop new and creative solutions to reduce emissions as quickly as possible, while avoiding undue impact on the motorist”. This council believes that although local authorities like Merton can have an impact locally, air pollution is a national problem that requires national solutions and council is concerned that the government has had to be instructed by the courts to produce plans and on two occasions their draft plans have been deemed so inadequate as to be illegal. This council believes that air quality needs to be addressed by a comprehensive national strategy underpinned by the core principle that “the polluter pays” and that the government could “avoid undue impact on the motorist” by introducing a diesel scrappage scheme.
Given the above, this Council welcomes the work being undertaken in this area both by the borough’s Air Quality Task Group, which was established through Scrutiny last year, and by council officers working on the refresh of the Air Quality Action Plan. It is clear there is still more that can and must be done to improve air quality across Merton, particularly by looking at the following:
· Tackling congestion hotspots in the borough and focusing on the worst offending areas for air pollution, which is already a key part of Merton’s Draft Air Quality Action Plan;
· Introducing anti-idling measures as has been done in neighbouring Wandsworth, which is already in the Draft Air Quality Action Plan;
· Continue the use of air quality monitoring equipment which has been doubled in the borough, including at Plough Lane, where monitoring has been reintroduced, and invest in our automated monitoring equipment which has now become outdated;
· Initiatives to incentivise cycling and walking as alternative means of transport and to promote car sharing, which is already in the Draft Air Quality Action Plan;
· The parking permit charge for electric vehicles, which has already been reduced, as part of a comprehensive emissions based parking scheme;
· Ensuring that our procurement policies include clean transport criteria now that contracted services have significantly reduced Merton’s own transport fleet and supporting the Mayor of London’s plans for cleaner buses and an end to the expensive diesel-emitting Routemaster buses favoured by his Conservative predecessor; and
· Increased co-operation across the South West London sub-region on air quality;
· Include air quality as a priority in the Council’s Local Plan and review the planning process to ensure that we deliver the best outcomes for the borough in terms of development and air quality.
This Council therefore resolves to redouble its efforts to tackle air pollution and the danger it poses to the health of Merton’s residents, and it calls on the Cabinet to:
a) Call on government to publish a national air quality strategy based on the principle that the polluter pays;
b) Call on government to introduce a new Clean Air Act;
c) Continue to look at new and bold ways that the borough can address this issue, in conjunction with the Mayor of London and national government, for incorporation into the 2017-22 Air Quality Action Plan due to go out for public consultation this year; and
d) Ensure as planned that this consultation is widely promoted and publicised by the Council and that ideas and suggestions to improve air quality are encouraged from individuals, residents’ associations, local campaign groups, community organisations and business representatives right across Merton for consideration prior to final adoption of the new Action Plan.
Supporting documents: