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Issue - meetings

REVOCATION OF AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREAS IN HITCHIN

 

 

Meeting: 20/01/2026 - Cabinet (Item 10)

10 REVOCATION OF AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREAS IN HITCHIN pdf icon PDF 232 KB

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR – REGULATORY

 

The purpose of the report is to review the status of the Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) as declared in the AQMA Orders.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet approved the Revocation Orders (as appended to this report) for the following areas:

 

•       The No1. AQMA Stevenage Road Hitchin,

•       The No2. AQMA Payne’s Park Hitchin.

 

REASON FOR DECISION: The reason for recommending the Revocation of the AQMAs is that there is no reasonable justification for retaining AQMAs where the air pollution levels can be shown to have significantly reduced below statutory air quality objectives as defined by HM Government within UK Air Quality Regulations.  

Minutes:

Audio recording 31 minutes 55 seconds

 

Councillor Mick Debenham, as Executive Member Regulatory, presented the report entitled ‘Revocation of Air Quality Management Areas in Hitchin’ and advised that:

 

·       The Council had declared two Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs).

·       The declaration of the AQMAs required development of an Air Quality Action Plan to put measures in place to reduce air pollution objective levels.

·       The impact of a combination of measures had resulted in the pollution levels in the two AQMAs falling below objective levels for 5 years or more.

·       Air Quality Management Order No 1 in Stevenage Road, Hitchin was detailed in Appendix A.

·       Air Quality Management Order No 2 in Payne’s Park, Hitchin was detailed in Appendix B.

·       The development of a Local Air Quality Strategy was highlighted in Appendices C1-3.

 

The following Members asked questions:

 

·       Councillor Ian Albert

·       Councillor Tamsin Thomas

 

In response to questions, Councillor Debenham advised that:

 

·       A health impact assessment was underway and air quality pollution levels were being monitored throughout the district, including in Grove Road.

·       Where legislation required a Council to revoke an area, air quality pollutions levels would still be monitored.

 

In response to questions, the Environmental Health Manager advised that:

 

·       The air quality in Grove Road was being monitored by diffusion tubes which monitor road vehicle pollutant levels.

·       There were currently 42 diffusion tubes monitoring air quality levels around the district.

·       An option where the Council could consider having a localised version of portable air quality monitoring devices was detailed in the report, but there would be cost implications.

·       There had not been any feedback received regarding timescales for delivery of an Air Quality Strategy.

·       The monitoring of air quality levels in roads that would be impacted by the expansion of Luton Airport was ongoing.

·       It was a legal requirement where lower than air quality threshold limits for 5 years or more were recorded, a Council was required to revoke, but air quality pollution would still continue to be monitored throughout the district.

 

Councillor Mick Debenham proposed and Councillor Ian Albert seconded and, following a vote, it was:

 

RESOLVED: That Cabinet approved the Revocation Orders (as appended to this report) for the following areas:

 

•       The No1. AQMA Stevenage Road Hitchin,

•       The No2. AQMA Payne’s Park Hitchin.

 

REASON FOR DECISION: The reason for recommending the Revocation of the AQMAs is that there is no reasonable justification for retaining AQMAs where the air pollution levels can be shown to have significantly reduced below statutory air quality objectives as defined by HM Government within UK Air Quality Regulations.