To consider a report of the Leader of the Council following recommendation from the Executive Meeting held on 26 July 2021.

[PLEASE NOTE: The appendices to this report are especially extensive and have been published in full on the Council’s website, together with the rest of the agenda papers for the meeting, however, they are not included in the circulated paper version.]

The Council considered a report of the Leader of the Council setting out the proposed Greater Manchester Final Clean Air Plan and policy following a review of all of the information gathered through the consultation and wider data, evidence and modelling work. The report advised that the proposed plan required agreement by the ten Greater Manchester local authorities and sought the Council’s approval.

The report’s recommendations were moved and seconded and during the debate a recorded vote was called for, in accordance with Procedure Rule 16.5. Following the debate on the matter, the Motion was put to the vote and this resulted as follows:

Those in favour of the Motion: Councillors Acton, Adshead, Akinola, Bennett, Brophy, Brotherton, Dr. Carr, G. Carter, K. Carter, Coggins, Cordingley, Dagnall, Dillon, Freeman, Harding, Hartley, Hassan, Haughey, Hynes, Lloyd, Longden, Maitland, Minnis, New, Newgrosh, O’Sullivan, Patel, Procter, Ross, Slater, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Walsh, Welton, D. Western, Whyte, Williams, Winstanley and Wright.

Those against the Motion: None.

Those choosing to abstain: Councillors Dr. Barclay, Miss Blackburn, Boyes, Bunting, Butt, Carey, Chalkin, Evans, Holden, Lamb, Mirza, Mitchell, Morgan, Whetton and Mrs. P. Young.

With the result of the vote being 40 in favour and none against, with 15 abstentions, the Motion was declared carried.

RESOLVED: That the Council:

(1)       Notes the progress of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan.

(2)       Notes the progress in the distribution of Bus Retrofit funding.

(3)       Notes Ministers’ agreement 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, Transport for Greater Manchester (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)       Approves the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan Policy, as set out 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, as recommended by the Executive.

(5)       Notes the Equalities Impact Assessment as agreed by the Executive, as set out at Appendix 2 to the report.

(6)       Notes the AECOM Consultation Report as agreed by the Executive, as set out at Appendix 3 to the report.

(7)       Notes the proposed Response to the Consultation at Appendix 4 to the report which has been prepared by TfGM on behalf of the ten Greater Manchester local authorities.

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

(9)       Notes the Modelling report of the final Clean Air Plan (CAP) package as agreed by the Executive, 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)    Notes the economic implications of the CAP Report as approved by the Executive, as set out at Appendix 7 to the report.

(11)    Notes the update on the Greater Manchester 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 Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan.

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

(13)    Notes that the Greater Manchester Clean Air Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to make the Charging Scheme Order which establishes the Greater Manchester Charging Scheme in line with the agreed Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan Policy.

(14)    Notes that the Greater Manchester 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)    Notes 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 Greater Manchester local authorities.

(16)    Notes that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to:

a.  establish and distribute the funds set out in the agreed Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan policy;

b.  approve the assessment mechanism agreed with the Joint Air Quality Unit to ensure that Clean Air Funds can be adapted if necessary;

c.   keep the use of the funds under review and to determine any changes in the amounts allocated to each and their use; and

d.  Monitor and evaluate the joint local charging scheme.

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

(18)    Notes that the Executive has delegated to the Greater Manchester Charging Authorities Committee the authority 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 Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone of the A575 and A580 at Worsley following the conclusion of that consultation.

(19)    Notes that the Executive has agreed the Clean Air Zone automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and signage locations, as set out at Appendix 10 to the report.

(20)    Notes the delegation to the Corporate Director of 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 to the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit to support the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan and any supplementary information to that Unit.