Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

a)  To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th September 2017.

b)  Matters arising.

The minutes of the meeting held on 18^th September 2017 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

To consider a petition bearing 29 signatures, which has been submitted by Councillor Skinner, a Westwood Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the petition organiser.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), which responded to a petition requesting that the Council undertake air quality surveys in and around Tile Hill Village and for proposed developments not to go ahead should air pollution prove to be above acceptable levels.

A petition bearing 29 signatures had been submitted by Councillor Skinner, a Westwood Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting along with Mrs Sprouse, the petition organiser.  Both Councillor Skinner and Mrs Sprouse spoke in support of the petition.  The petitioners were concerned about the air quality in and around Tile Hill Village following large housing developments that had taken place over recent years and in view of the proposed large new housing developments planned for Westwood Heath Road, Cromwell Lane and Burton Green.  In addition they were concerned regarding the impact of planned heavy works connected with HS2 over the next few years.  They felt it was important that the current air quality be measured and then consistently measured over the next 5-10 years.  If the current air quality proved to be above acceptable levels and a danger to public health, the petitioners wanted the above mentioned proposed developments to not go ahead until such time as the air quality improved and could be maintained.

The report indicated that the Council recognised the impact of air pollution on health and wellbeing and was committed to taking action to improve air quality in the City.  It was recognised that air pollution could have effects on health throughout life, contributing to the development or exacerbation of a range of health conditions, as well as to mortality at a population level.  In this respect, matters of health and wellbeing (including air quality), formed an integral part of a range of Council Plans and strategies, including the Council’s new Local Plan.

It was noted that the new Local Plan, adopted by Council on 5^th December 2017, included a range of policies and site allocations and contained a new policy (Policy EM7) specifically on air quality.  In addition, the Council were working on developing a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on air quality, which would provide technical guidance and support to those submitting planning applications.  The new Local Plan also contained a monitoring commitment to ensure ongoing monitoring of air quality across the City with an overarching aim of removing parts of the city from the Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), which the city was designated in 2009.

As part of the AQMA designation, the area around Tile Hill Village was, at the time, not deemed of sufficient concern to justify regular monitoring.  Although there had been higher levels of development in the area over the last decade, much of this had focussed on the Bannerbrook site (former Massey Ferguson factories) and had reflected a change in land use from industrial to residential.  It was also acknowledged that the construction of the railway flyover and expansion of the Tile Hill Railway Station  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

There were no other items of public business.