Issue - meetings

INFORMATION NOTE OF THE AIR QUALITY CONSULTANT

The Chair to lead a discussion on the Air Quality in Hitchin.

The Chair led a discussion with Members on Air Quality in Hitchin.

The Chair presented the Information Note entitled ‘Air Quality in Hitchin’ and led a discussion with Members and proposed the following:

·         The Air Quality Monitoring Areas at Stevenage Road and Payne’s Park should continue to be monitored.

·         The Committee would like to receive further detailed information from Officers regarding the EcoStars scheme referred to in the Information Note.

The following Members took part in the discussion:

·         Councillor Sam Collins

·         Councillor Richard Thake

·         Councillor Val Bryant

·         Councillor Ian Albert

·         Councillor Clare Billing

Points raised in the discussion included:

·         The EcoStars scheme had not previously been communicated well.

·         The suggestion to base decisions on air quality monitoring on 2020/21 data is not suitable, as traffic levels were still significantly lower than usual. Even this year parking rates in Hitchin are not back to their usual levels. A better proposal would be to use data from 2022 and 2023 to make monitoring decisions.

·         There were some detailed questions which would need to be put to Officers to respond.

·         There was a demonstrable dip in 2020/21, but if this is not shown in the data then it could be that the equipment is faulty. There was a slight decrease shown, but would have expected this to be bigger given the reduction in traffic movements.

·         It was important not to stop monitoring too early and until traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels the monitoring should continue.

·         The concrete works proposed in Langley would have a further impact on air quality in Hitchin.

·         Suggested that 2019 should be used as the base data for any comparisons, as this was the last full year of data.

Following the discussion, the Chair advised Members that the relevant Officers would be made aware that the Committee does not agree with proposals at 4.1 to stop monitoring at Payne’s Park or Stevenage Road and this should continue until at least 2023.

The Chair also advised that he would request an Officer attends a future meeting so that detailed questions can be asked by Members and further detail on the EcoStars scheme can be provided.