Issue - meetings

To receive the report of the Strategic Director for Operations which can be found within the Executive Agenda pack from page 61:

(Public Pack)Agenda Document for Executive, 04/11/2025 17:30

The Chair invited Public Health and Councillor Rees, as proposer of the item to the table and explained that there was also a recommendation from the Executive.

Councillor Rees, under Standing Order No. 45, presented her Scrutiny Proforma and in doing so, made the following points:

• that this had been submitted in May 2024 prior to the previous Air Quality Action Plan coming to an end with the intention of evaluation before a new one was written;
• there was consensus that many targets were difficult to evaluate as they were not SMART therefore successes could not be celebrated or areas for improvement seen;
• the decision from Executive to have a wider strategy document with clear information for the public and also detailing aspirations;
• the Air Quality Action Plan had a specific remit and a wider strategy would provide a holistic picture of the ambitions for the city; and
• it was great to see Public Health represented.

The Strategic Director for Operations presented the report making the following points:

• the status report had been reviewed for twelve years;
• the annual status report had to be presented on a Government issued template which the council couldn’t change.
• data from 2024 had been surprising as it had not been expected that East Wonford Hill would fall below the exceedance level set by the government;
• this was a positive situation but there was still work to do to improve air quality further;
• officers were now seeking to go on a different journey and were present at the meeting to hear from and to listen to members of the scrutiny committee;
• The Air Quality Action Plan was now required to be reviewed;
• this was highly specialist work which couldn’t be resourced in-house due to the current vacancy; and
• in drawing the strategy together there would likely be workshops and other opportunities for member to engage.

The Public Health Specialist gave evidence making the following points:

• the Director of Public Health must see and sign off the air quality status reports;
• public health were keen to work with officers and members to look at how this could be better coordinated across the wider Devon area;
• Exeter was influenced by being one of the biggest commuting-in areas in the country;
• there was a desire to streamline the process by becoming involved earlier and looking more strategically across the area, including looking to have one data-set;
• once areas had moved beyond Air Quality Management Areas they were looking to address how authorities could work as a system; and
• looking across the whole region included Europe as everyone must be mindful of large forest fires having a wider-ranging impact on air quality.

The Strategic Director for Operations, Head of Service – Environment and Waste and Public Health Specialist responded to Members’ questions in the following terms:

• the Executive had decided not to consult on reviewing the Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), as the AQMA would be short-lived;
• there was a legal requirement to look at the Air Quality  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24