Agenda item

This Council notes that:

• Air pollution poses a serious threat to the health of everyone and in particular the development of young people.  Epidemiological studies show that symptoms of bronchitis in asthmatic children increase in association with long-term exposure to pollutants, as well as stunting lung growth.
• Our residents and visitors are exposed to unsafe levels of pollutants, particularly outside of schools at peak times in the morning and afternoon, next to taxi ranks, at level crossings and along our major roads.
• Road transport is one of the biggest contributors to particulate matter and pollution in Wokingham Borough.
• While many of the policy interventions to rectify this problem would have to come from central Government, this Council can do more and needs to be proactive on this issue.
• Only a handful of areas across the country are trialling “No Vehicle Idling zones” yet they bring many health benefits, and could be introduced around the Borough, particularly outside schools, taxi ranks and at level crossings.
• It is important to provide our residents and visitors with healthier and less polluting alternatives to move about the Borough, and in particular, parents taking their children to school.  Therefore, the Council should invest more in walking and cycling.

This Council resolves to:

• Monitor the level of particulate matter 2.5 across the borough. 
• Review the work done on No-Vehicle-Idling nationally in other local authorities and integrate this into an Action Plan for No-Vehicle-Idling zones covering the Wokingham Borough Council area with a view to implementing No-Vehicle-Idling zones, around as many schools in the Borough as possible, by the end of 2022, and in other identified areas such as taxi ranks and close to level crossings
• Encourage local businesses to sponsor green walls on school buildings and tree planting near schools and the Executive Member for Environment includes this in his action plan.
• Increase spending on active travel in future budgets, especially safe cycle lanes. 
• Produce a strategy for implementing a car club scheme across the Borough. 

The Council considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Sarah Kerr and seconded by Paul Fishwick.

‘This Council notes that:

·         Air pollution poses a serious threat to the health of everyone and in particular the development of young people.  Epidemiological studies show that symptoms of bronchitis in asthmatic children increase in association with long-term exposure to pollutants, as well as stunting lung growth.

·         Our residents and visitors are exposed to unsafe levels of pollutants, particularly outside of schools at peak times in the morning and afternoon, next to taxi ranks, at level crossings and along our major roads.

·         Road transport is one of the biggest contributors to particulate matter and pollution in Wokingham Borough.

·         While many of the policy interventions to rectify this problem would have to come from central Government, this Council can do more and needs to be proactive on this issue.

·         Only a handful of areas across the country are trialling “No Vehicle Idling zones” yet they bring many health benefits, and could be introduced around the Borough, particularly outside schools, taxi ranks and at level crossings.

·         It is important to provide our residents and visitors with healthier and less polluting alternatives to move about the Borough, and in particular, parents taking their children to school.  Therefore, the Council should invest more in walking and cycling.

This Council resolves to:

·         Monitor the level of particulate matter 2.5 across the borough. 

·         Review the work done on No-Vehicle-Idling nationally in other local authorities and integrate this into an Action Plan for No-Vehicle-Idling zones covering the Wokingham Borough Council area with a view to implementing No-Vehicle-Idling zones, around as many schools in the Borough as possible, by the end of 2022, and in other identified areas such as taxi ranks and close to level crossings

·         Encourage local businesses to sponsor green walls on school buildings and tree planting near schools and the Executive Member for Environment includes this in his action plan.

·         Increase spending on active travel in future budgets, especially safe cycle lanes. 

·         Produce a strategy for implementing a car club scheme across the Borough.’

Sarah Kerr commented that climate change and air pollution whilst linked, were not the same.  A large proportion of air pollution came from road transport which released gases such as nitrous oxides, sulphur dioxide and fine particles.  Fine particles were particularly harmful to health and were attributable to four out of five deaths from air pollution.  Research undertaken by the British Heart Foundation suggested that in 2017, 65 circulatory and heart disease related deaths in the Borough were attributable to air pollution.  Sarah Kerr went on to emphasise the damage to lung growth and highlighted that according to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, Wokingham was above national and regional average for children being hospitalised for respiratory tract infections.

Paul Fishwick emphasised the need for the monitoring of particulate matter, which were harmful to health.  He emphasised the effects around schools, railway bridges and other areas where cars were more likely to have their engines idling.

It was proposed by Gregor Murray and seconded by Parry Batth that the Motion be amended as follows:

‘This Council notes that:

·         Air pollution poses a serious threat to the health of everyone and in particular the development of young people.  Epidemiological studies show that symptoms of bronchitis in asthmatic children increase in association with long-term exposure to pollutants, as well as stunting lung growth.

·         Our residents and visitors are exposed to unsafe levels of pollutants, particularly outside of schools at peak times in the morning and afternoon, next to taxi ranks, at level crossings and along our major roads.

·         Road transport is one of the biggest contributors to particulate matter and pollution in Wokingham Borough.

·         While many of the policy interventions to rectify this problem would have to come from central Government, this Council can do more and needs to be proactive on this issue.

·         Only a handful of areas across the country are trialling “No Vehicle Idling zones” yet they bring many health benefits, and could be introduced around the borough, particularly outside schools, taxi ranks and at level crossings.

·         It is important to provide our residents and visitors with healthier and less polluting alternatives to move about the borough, and in particular, parents taking their children to school.  Therefore, the Council should invest more in walking and cycling.

This Council resolves to:

·         Continue monitoring the level of particulate matter 2.5 across the Borough. 

·         Continue to review the work done on No-Vehicle-Idling nationally in other local authorities and integrate this into an  continue with the Action Plan for No-Vehicle-Idling zones covering the Wokingham Borough Council area with a view to implementing No-Vehicle-Idling zones, around as many schools in the Borough as possible, by the end of 2022, and in other identified areas such as taxi ranks and close to level crossings

·         Continue to encourage local businesses to sponsor green walls on school buildings and tree planting near schools and the Executive Member for Environment includes this in their  his action plan.

·         Continue to increase spending on active travel in future budgets, especially safe cycle lanes. 

·         Produce Consider a strategy for implementing a car club scheme across the Borough.’

Gregor Murray commented that many of the recommendations within the original Motion were already underway.  He referred to funding awarded to the Council by Defra to further encourage active travel in Wokingham Town centre and Twyford where air quality management areas were located, and also Finchampstead where the air quality agglomeration zone was located.  A key Council aim was to get more schoolchildren using active transport methods.