Agenda item

Cabinet AGREED:

1.      That the Council sign up to become a ‘Cleaner Air Borough’, progressing projects such as those set out in the Cabinet report, that would allow it to demonstrate that it meets the Exemplar Borough qualifying criteria.

2.    That grant funding bids be submitted in line with Havering becoming a ‘Cleaner Air Borough.

Councillor Lesley Kelly, Cabinet Member for Housing, and Councillor Barry Tebbutt, Cabinet Member for Environment, jointly presented the report

The report considered the steps that the Council must take towards becoming a ‘Cleaner Air Borough’, which would have environmental benefits and enable Havering to bid for up to £400k of funding from Transport for London (TfL) for projects to improve air quality in the borough. In addition, the environmental benefits would have public health advantages and make the borough a more attractive place to live in and for businesses to invest in.

It was noted that many of the criteria that the borough would have to work towards to achieve this status were covered by existing projects and programmes in Havering, and consequently achieving this status would simply require the continuation of existing projects that are funded by TfL through the LIP programme; the implementation of new projects funded via the recently announced London Mayor’s Air Quality Fund; and minor adjustments to existing programmes. Examples included the TfL funded Biking Boroughs programme and Smarter Travel work, development of the Ingrebourne Valley Connect 2 route, regeneration capital projects in Romford and Rainham and business engagement activities.

The report sought Cabinet approval for Havering to sign up to become a ‘Cleaner Air Borough’.

Reasons for the decision:

Expressing the level of political support required to submit a successful bid for Cleaner Air Borough funding would publicly demonstrate Havering’s commitment both to tackling the health issues caused by poor air quality in the borough and to the delivery of London Mayoral priorities. 

Development of a successful funding bid would provide financial assistance to the council in implementing existing projects and programmes that deliver across a wide range of council objectives in addition to improved air quality.  In particular, these include projects to reduce congestion and support business activity within the borough.

Increasing the level of investment in initiatives to tackle areas of poor air quality in Havering would help the Council to both meet the statutory targets for air quality and to reduce the exposure of Havering’s population to health-damaging pollutants.

It was hoped that visible commitment to the delivery of air quality improvement projects and improved performance in relation to air quality limits would have a mitigatory effect on the apportionment of any EU Air Quality fines to the borough.

Other options considered:

The option of not demonstrating political support or submitting a bid for Cleaner Air Borough funding was discarded, due to statutory and ethical obligations to meet air quality limits and the opportunity to increase net income to the authority.

Cabinet AGREED:

1.      That the Council sign up to become a ‘Cleaner Air Borough’, progressing projects such as those set out in the Cabinet report, that would allow it to demonstrate that it meets the Exemplar Borough qualifying criteria.

2.    That grant funding bids be submitted in line with Havering becoming a ‘Cleaner Air Borough.