Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 8^th October, 2014 were signed as a true record.

The Committee noted that an item on “Female Genital Mutilation” would be considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board at their meeting on Monday, 10^th November, 2014 and that Welfare Reform would be included in the Committee’s Work Programme for January, 2015.

Briefing Note of the Executive Director, People

The Committee considered a Briefing Note which indicated that Local Authorities are required to put in place an Air Quality Action Plan to address areas of poor air quality. Coventry’s current Plan was introduced in 2009 and requires updating to reflect national and local changes. The Briefing Note set out the context in which the Plan will be reviewed and covered the following areas:-

  ?The impact of poor air quality on health

  ?Air quality measurement in Coventry

  ?West Midlands action to improve air quality

  ?Local action to improve air quality

  ?Action that could be taken to improve air quality.

The Committee questioned officers on aspects of the Briefing Note, including:-

  ?Monitoring equipment in the City

  ?The correlation between poor air quality and poor health, particularly

     in the north  east of the City

  ?The impact that traffic management measures, such as bus lanes,

    has on congestion levels and air quality

  ? The financial risks for the City Council in relation to the £400m fine

    imposed by the EU on the UK Government for breaching air quality

    standards

  ?Mortality estimates attributable to poor air quality

  ?Mitigation measures that could be introduced to improve air quality

     RESOLVED:-

  1)  That Officers be requested to provide more detailed information in relation to the map appended to the Briefing Note which shows modelled areas of nitrogen dioxide exceedance, particularly regarding the correlation between health impacts and levels of pollution by ward

2)  That the Cabinet Member (Health and Adult Services) be fully briefed on the impact of poor air quality on people’s health

3)  That officers be requested to continue to work towards identifying the financial risks for the City Council in relation to the £400m fine imposed by the EU on the UK Government for breaching air quality standards

4)  That officers be requested to explore linking the Air Quality Action Plan with benefits to public health in deprived areas

5)  That the Cabinet Member (Public Services) be requested to consider undertaking a review of bus lanes in the City

6)  The officers be requested to investigate introducing more environmentally friendly measures, such as planting more trees, to improve air quality

7)  That consideration be given to ways of changing personal behaviour and working with 3^rd sector parties to educate and inform the public in relation to the dangers of poor air quality

8)  That the Committee be provided with an update on the new Air Quality Action Plan in the new Municipal Year

Briefing Note of the Executive Director, Place

Councillor Maton, Cabinet Member (Business, Enterprise and Employment) and Councillor McNicholas, Deputy Cabinet Member have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

The Committee considered a Briefing Note which outlined Coventry’s current performance in the tourism sector and the local developments in the last 12 months relating to the sector’s performance, key structures and services. The Briefing Note covered the following areas:-

  ?Tourism and destination

  ?VisitEngland Great British Tourism Survey Update

  ?Coventry – The past 12 months

  ?Business Tourism – successes and future work

  ?Leisure Tourism – successes and future work

  ?Structure and services

  ?Destination Management Organisation

The Committee questioned officers on aspects of the Briefing Note, including:-

  ?Issues relating to the Destination Management Organisation and

  Coventry’s  links and roles in the sub region

  ?The location of the Tourist Information Centre

  ?The condition and management of City Council Heritage assets

?The role of the Local Enterprise Partnership, both in terms of

  developing sub- regional working on tourism and ensuring that the

  skills requirement associated with the hospitality and tourism

  industry are met 

RESOLVED:-

1)   That the Cabinet Member (Business, Enterprise and

  Employment) be requested to prioritise making a decision

  on the relation of the Tourist Information Centre

2)  That consideration be given to opening St Mary’s Guildhall to the public as much as possible and particularly during school holidays and the Christmas period

3)  That the proposed establishment of a Destination Management Organisation for Coventry be endorsed

4)  That consideration be given to alternative structures/organisations for the management of City Council heritage assets

5)   That officers be requested to provide more information in relation to Coventry’s national position in league tables regarding “More Visited Towns and Cities 2013 for GB Residents-Spend”; “Top Towns for “Staying Visits” by Inbound Visitors” and “Number of International Visitors”

6)  That the officers be requested to take on board and pass on where appropriate the comments and concerns now raised in relation to City Council Heritage assets

All outstanding issues have been included in the work programme below

The Committee noted that all outstanding issues had been included in the Work Programme for the current year.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as a matter of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

The Committee noted that a report of the Executive Director, Place headed ‘Coventry and Warwickshire Gateway- Section 106 Planning Agreement’ had been considered by the Cabinet at their meeting on 4^th November 2014. The Committee noted that Councillor Skipper, Chair of Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee had attended the meeting and had agreed that the decision was urgent and that call-in should not apply.

In accordance with Part 3E, paragraph 19.4 of the Council’s Constitution, this was reported to Scrutiny Co-ordination Committeeto inform them of the reason for urgency. The reason for urgency was that to delay implementation of the recommendations would put the whole of the Coventry and Warwickshire Gateway redevelopment scheme at significant risk.

NOTE: This item was considered as an item of any other public business on the grounds of urgency, the reason for the urgency being the need to inform the Committee at the earliest opportunity.