Agenda item

The Environmental Health Manager presented the Air Quality Annual Update.  He explained that the latest annual report had been completed along with the Updating and Screening Assessment 2015.  Documents were available to view on the Borough Council’s website and had been submitted to DEFRA for peer review.  The Environmental Health Manager encouraged Members to view the report on the website and contact him if they had any queries.

The Environmental Health Manager explained that the Council had a statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995 to annually review and assess air quality across the Borough.

The Environmental Health Manager explained that the Council had declared two Air Quality Management Areas; London Road/Railway Road one way system and the Gaywood Clock area.  The Environmental Health Manager referred to his report which set out the location of Air Quality Monitoring Stations and provided details of which pollutants they monitored.  The Council also used Diffusion tubes to monitor air quality and readings were taken from the tubes on a monthly basis.  An annual mean was then recorded.

The Environmental Health Manager informed the Panel that data collected showed a general downward trend in all areas.

The Environmental Health Manager explained that the Environmental Quality Team had considered a number of Planning and IPPC Permit applications for air quality impact and details of recent applications were set out in the Environmental Health Manager’s Report.

The Panel was referred to the Updating and Screening Assessment conclusion and proposed actions as detailed in part 3.6 and 3.7 of the Environmental Health Manager’s report.

The Environmental Health Manager reminded the Panel that as part of the King’s Lynn Transport Interchange Project, the taxi rank had been relocated inside the ground floor of the Cattle Market car park.  This had led to various concerns regarding air quality being raised by the taxi trade.  The Environmental Health Manager explained that the Environmental Quality Team had relocated Diffusion Tubes to this area and carried out additional monitoring.  The results showed that there were no breaches of the exposure limits for benzene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and NO2.

The Chairman thanked the Environmental Health Manager for his report and invited questions and comments from the Panel.

In response to a question from the Vice Chairman, Councillor Miss Bambridge, the Environmental Health Manager explained that wood burners were installed in accordance with Building Control regulations and Smoke Control areas were in place in some areas which encouraged the use of approved appliances.  The Environmental Health Manager explained that the Team did sometimes receive domestic complaints.

Councillor Moriarty referred to the monitoring carried out at the taxi rank.  He highlighted that often taxi drivers were waiting at the rank for a long period of time and asked if monitoring had been carried out to reflect this.  The Environmental Health Manager explained that monitoring had included equipment which provided instant results, diffusion tubes and monitoring over an eight hour period, which was deemed to be the same as a working day.  Monitoring was carried out at two locations; the head of the taxi rank and the middle of the taxi rank.  Monitoring was carried out in the Summer and in the Winter.  Results were available to view on the Borough Council’s website.

Councillor Moriarty referred to the Planning Application for the extension at Palm Paper and asked if the monitoring for the Willows, which was to be removed now that an incinerator would not be built, should remain, so that background levels could be recorded prior to the extension.  The Environmental Manager explained that the Environmental Quality Team had assessed the application and an informal agreement had been reached with Palm Paper in that they would pay for diffusion tubes in the surrounding area for a year. 

Councillor Moriarty referred to car emissions and the Environmental Health Manager explained that petrol released more Carbon Dioxide than Diesel.  Diesel emitted more particulates, but modern cars had particulate traps and had to meet European compliance standards.

In response to a further question from Councillor Moriarty regarding straw burners and mineral operations, the Environmental Health Manager explained that monitoring was carried out near residential areas and diffusion tubes were often placed on the façade of houses.  He explained that contamination did drop off within a couple of metres.  The Environmental Health Manager explained that biomass boilers were now becoming more popular and monitoring was undertaken where required.  Monitoring was also undertaken as a result of complaints.

Councillor Mrs Bower explained that she was concerned about the Northern Area as there would soon be more aggregate extraction and in the future there could be additional housing in the area, which would add to the traffic build up during the peak season.  She hoped that this would not have an impact on the area, some of which was a designated SSSI.  She asked if baseline figures were available so that the effects of additional activity could be monitored.  The Environmental Health Manager explained that the Environmental Quality Team would have input in the Planning Application process and could ask the developer to produce an Air Quality Impact Assessment.  The Panel was informed that the Environmental Quality Team also worked closely with Norfolk County Council regarding quarries and mineral extraction sites.

Councillor Smith referred to areas in the town centre and asked if monitoring was carried out near the Deer’s Leap crossroads as additional housing development had taken place in this area, meaning that traffic flow had increased.  The Environmental Health Manager explained that monitoring had been undertaken in the past, but the Diffusion Tubes had now been removed.  The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Councillor Long explained that the distance from the receptor to the road in question had an impact on the air quality, for instance the properties fronting Railway Road were very close to the road side, whereas in the area Councillor Smith had referred to, properties were set back from the road side.

RESOLVED: The update was noted.