Agenda item

GREATER MANCHESTER CLEAN AIR FINAL PLAN

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council.

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council submitted a report which set out the proposed Greater Manchester Final Clean Air Plan and policy following a review of all of the information gathered through the GM CAP consultation and wider data, evidence and modelling work which was to be agreed by the ten Greater Manchester local authorities. The report recommended approval of the proposed plan as set out below, which was also to be considered by Council on 28 July 2021.

In discussion, queries were raised on the content of the report, including in relation to eligibility for retrofit funding, the nature of exceedances targets, deployment of funding derived from associated charges and future projections of that funding, and the potential for future changes to the scheme. It was noted that some of these issues had been covered in a recent TFGM briefing for Members, and that there would be further opportunities for discussion when the report was considered by Council on 28th July 2021. Members’ attention was also drawn to the significant health impacts of air pollution which the proposed scheme was intended to alleviate.

 

            RESOLVED -

 

(1)       That the progress of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan be noted.

 

(2)       That the progress in the distribution of Bus Retrofit funding be noted.

 

(3)       That Ministers’ agreement be noted to include the sections of the A628/A57 in Tameside which form part of the Strategic Road Network within the Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and their request for Tameside MBC, TfGM and Highways England to establish the most appropriate solution for the charging mechanism to be applied on this section of the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

 

(4)       That it be recommended to Council that it approves the GM Clean Air Plan Policy, at Appendix 1 to the report, noting that the policy outlines the boundary, discounts, exemptions, daily charges of the Clean Air Zone as well as the financial support packages offered towards upgrading to a compliant vehicle, including the eligibility criteria to be applied.

 

(5)       That the Equalities Impact Assessment, as set out at Appendix 2 to the report, be agreed.

 

(6)       That the AECOM Consultation Report, as set out at Appendix 3 to the report, be agreed.

 

(7)       That agreement be given to the proposed Response to the Consultation at Appendix 4 to the report which has been prepared by TfGM on behalf of the ten GM local authorities.

 

(8)       That the Impacts of COVID-19 Report, as set out at Appendix 5 to the report, be agreed.

 

(9)       That the Modelling report of the final CAP package be agreed, as set out at Appendix 6 to the report, and in particular that the modelling outputs of the final plan scheme show the achievement of compliance with the legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide in the shortest possible time and by 2024 at the latest as required by the Ministerial Direction.

 

(10)     That the economic implications of the CAP Report, as set out at Appendix 7 to the report, be agreed.

 

(11)     That the update be noted on the GM Minimum Licensing Standards, set out in section 3.1 of the report, and in particular that licensing conditions will not be used to support delivery of the GM Clean Air Plan.

 

(12)     That approval be given to a 6-week public consultation on the inclusion of motorhomes classified as MSP1 in the GM Clean Air Zone and on the inclusion of the A575 and A580 at Worsley commencing on 1 September 2021 and that authority be delegated to the Corporate Director, Place in consultation with the Director of Public Health, to approve the consultation materials.

 

(13)     That it be noted that the GM Clean Air Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to make the Charging Scheme Order which establishes the GM Charging Scheme in line with the agreed GM Clean Air Plan Policy.

 

(14)     That it be noted that the GM Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to vary the Charging Scheme Order if this is established as the most appropriate charging mechanism to be applied on sections of the A628/A57 part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in Tameside.

 

(15)     That it be noted that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to agree the final form of the Operational Agreement for the Central Clean Air Service, and to authorise the making of the Agreement, on behalf of the ten GM local authorities.

 

(16)     That it be noted that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to:

  1. establish and distribute the funds set out in the agreed GM Clean Air Plan policy;
  2. approve the assessment mechanism agreed with JAQU to ensure that Clean Air Funds can be adapted if necessary;
  3. keep the use of the funds under review and to determine any changes in the amounts allocated to each and their use and
  4. Monitor and evaluate the joint local charging scheme.

 

(17)     That the reallocation be approved of funding from the Try Before You Buy scheme to provide additional electric vehicle charging points dedicated for use by taxis.

 

(18)     That authority be delegated to the GM Charging Authorities Committee to determine the outcome of the consultation on both the inclusion of motorhomes classified as MSP1 within the scope of Clean Air Zone charges and on the inclusion in the GM Clean Air Zone of the A575 and A580 at Worsley following the conclusion of that consultation.

 

(19)     That the Clean Air Zone ANPR and signage locations, as set out at Appendix 10 to the report, be agreed.

 

(20)     That a delegation be agreed to the Corporate Director, Place in consultation with the Director of Public Health, to approve the submission of the Interim Full Business Case if required and the Full Business Case (FBC) to the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit to support the GM Clean Air Plan and any supplementary information to that Unit.

Supporting documents: