Details of questions should be notified to the Democratic Services Manager at least three working days prior to the meeting - by 10am on Thursday 12 October 2023. Further information and a copy of the procedure are available from Democratic Services (Committees) (Tel: 01392 265115) with details about speaking at Council to be found here: Public Speaking at Meetings.
Minutes:
The Lord Mayor reported the receipt of questions from members of the public.
Question from Carol Finning
The City Council is responsible for the monitoring of air quality in Exeter and the Devon County Council Active Street Trial has air quality comparison as a success measure. We know some roads affected do not have measures. How will you plug the gap ensuring comparable data and will the City Council or Devon County Council pay for increased monitoring?
Response
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Democratic Services and Environmental Health reported that it was not possible to measure air pollution on every road within Heavitree and around the trial area where traffic flows may be expected to be altered. The City Council implements national guidance in choosing locations that are representative of worst case exposure and where exceedences of the objectives are most likely to occur. Officers are confident that the current monitoring network includes locations which will allow them to continue to undertake the Council’s statutory duties in respect of assessing compliance with the air quality objectives.
Additional monitoring is proposed along the Heavitree corridor, as part of a separate City Council project. This is funded by grant monies from DEFRA and has previously been reported on to Executive Committee. This data will be made available to Devon County Council to use for appraisal of the trial scheme. The City Council is not funding any further monitoring beyond this.
In asking a supplementary question, Carol Finning stated that the Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee report had referred to a 27% increase in traffic on some arterial roads and therefore was it not important to measure air quality on these roads?
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Democratic Services and Environmental Health, in responding, reiterated that it was not possible to measure air pollution on every road within Heavitree. The Council was installing monitors using funding from DEFRA and matched by the City Council which would go some way to address the issue.
Question from Clive Hutchings
Can Exeter City Council confirm that Exeter Council Tax payers will not be picking up any costs for the policing of the current Active Street Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) trial particularly any new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera installations at the temporary bus gates?
Response
The Leader reported that the City Council had no powers with respect to enforcement for highway matters and would not therefore be picking up the cost of policing of the current Active Street LTN.
Mr Hutchings asked a supplementary question as to whether the Council would pick up the costs of the temporary bus gates.
The Leader advised that it was not a matter for the Council to fund the gates.
Question from Ian Frankum
Your data shows East Wonford Hill is the most polluted in Exeter, exceeding 40mg of Carbon Dioxide two years consecutively. Given this fact, does the Council agree that any wilful decisions that increases traffic and pollution on this arterial road, jeopardising the health of those on it is, at best, foolhardy, at worst negligent?
Response
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Democratic Services and Environmental Health reported that firstly, it was important to note that the data referred to was for nitrogen dioxide, not carbon dioxide.
East Wonford Hill is the area in the city which has historically had the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air. This is caused by the poor dispersion of pollution emitted from slow moving traffic. The dispersion of emissions cannot be improved because it is caused by the narrow street, with buildings close to the back of the pavement. However, despite this constraint, the City and County Council’s actions have been effective in bringing about a significant reduction in pollution levels over the period when monitoring has been undertaken. The levels measured in the last two years are substantially reduced on the level five years ago, which was 62 micrograms per cubic meter at East Wonford Hill.
Mr Frankum asked a supplementary question reiterating his point as to whether any wilful decisions that increases traffic and pollution on this arterial road, jeopardising the health of those on it, is at best foolhardy at worst negligent? Which is it?
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Democratic Services and Environmental Health reported thatit was worth noting that an increase in vehicle flow does not have a direct proportionate effect on pollutant concentrations. A 5% increase in traffic flows for example would not be expected to result in a 5% increase in nitrogen dioxide concentrations at the roadside, even if all other factors remained constant. This is because the local road traffic component in any measurement is added on top of other ‘background’ levels. The increase in pollution levels would therefore be smaller than the increase in traffic flows.
Question from Lucy Haigh
East Wonford Hill has breached air quality targets in 2022. Vehicles drive past homes or sit idling, as children walk to school twice a day along the corridor. Can Exeter City Council confirm what increased volume of traffic the Exeter Highways and Traffic Order Committee/seconded Councillors have notified Exeter City Council to expect on the corridors due to the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) trial (Heavitree and Whipton) and, accordingly, what contingency plan was implemented to monitor or mitigate further air quality problems?
Response
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Democratic Services and Environmental Health reported that, as has been discussed in the answer to previous questions, the monitoring site at East Wonford Hill does measure the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide of any of the sites in the city. The poor dispersion of pollution in this area cannot really be improved, because this is caused by the shape of the street itself. However despite this, the City and County Council’s actions have brought about a significant reduction in pollution levels.
The air quality team were not given an exact prediction of the change in the volume of traffic flows. However, as has previously been explained, this alone would not translate directly into an equal change in air pollution concentrations. A change in vehicle flow does not have a direct proportionate effect on pollutant concentrations. This is because the local road traffic component in any measurement is added on top of other ‘background’ levels. The increase in pollution levels would therefore be smaller than the increase in traffic flows.
The Lord Mayor ruled that a supplementary question raised by Lucy Haigh did not directly relate to the response given.
Question from Neil Martin
An October Freedom of Information has revealed Devon County Council’s traffic flow change projections for post LTN, was an increase of between 2% to 27% on boundary roads. The County Council predicates 11,050 displaced extra vehicles each day on these four roads.
Who should the Exeter public hold responsible? The County Council for a poor scheme, or Exeter City Council and the four Members who all voted for it? Would Councillors prefer they had used their 33% share on the Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC), combined with 25% abstentions for others, to have saved thousands from increased pollution on their residential boundary roads?
Response
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Democratic Services and Environmental Health reported that the Members of the Exeter HATOC made their decision to support the LTN pilot schemes based on the best available information supplied to them.
The Lord Mayor ruled that a supplementary question raised by Ian Martin did not directly relate to the response given.