To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2023.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 7 December 2023 as a correct record.

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report provides an update on demand for and performance of the Compliance and Enforcement service during 2022/23. The report also provides a forward look at on- going and new challenges as a result of changes to legislation, policy and areas of growth that will have an impact on the work carried out by Compliance & Enforcement teams.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) that provided an update on demand for and performance of the Compliance and Enforcement service during 2022/23. The report also provided a forward look at on- going and new challenges as a result of changes to legislation, policy and areas of growth that would have an impact on the work carried out by Compliance and Enforcement teams.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing an introduction and background to the service;

·         Describing the variety of teams that make up the Compliance and Enforcement services and their remits;

·         Information on the demand on service with comparative data;

·         Case studies across a range of activities;

·         Information on proactive work across a range of activities;

·         Information on programmed work across a range of activities;

·         Information and data relating to formal enforcement action;

·         Discussion of ongoing and emerging challenges; and

·         An update on the introduction of the new case management system.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         Welcoming the informative report and suggesting that this report be circulated to all Councillors for information;

·         Recognising the work undertaken by the staff in the various teams to improve the environment for the residents of Manchester;

·         Were there enough resources across the teams to deliver the scale of work described;

·         Noting that benchmarking and comparative data would be useful in future update reports with consideration given to population change;

·         Noting that in the future the Committee may wish to consider receiving reports on specific activities of interest so that deeper consideration could be given to a specific area;

·         What was the approach to removing graffiti from private land;

·         Had there been any analysis undertaken as to the impact of using CCTV to tackle environmental crimes;

·         What was the approach taken to fly-tipping incidents when legal action was not pursued;

·         Were fines secured as a result of legal action ringfenced for the respective service area taking enforcement action;

·         Noting the proliferation of vape shops on the high street, often selling illegal products and the public health risk these posed to specifically to young people;

·         The issue of damp and mould in housing was an issue for many residents across the city;

·         Illegal evictions and the use of Section 21 Notice to Quit needed to end;

·         Calling for more enforced sales of empty properties to bring more houses back into the market;

·         Who would enforce any breaches of a Construction Management Plan; and

·         More Selective Licensing Schemes needed to be established to ensure greater control of the Private Rented Sector and to raise housing conditions within the Private Rented Sector.

The Head of Compliance, Enforcement and Community Safety welcomed the positive comments from the Committee and said that this would be relayed to the staff. She further paid tribute to her colleagues who had collated all of the information to publish in the report. She addressed the issue of benchmarking and said that this would be difficult to meaningfully do  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer

This report provides an update and overview of progress made in delivering the Council’s refreshed Climate Change Action Plan during Quarter 3 2023-24 (October – December 2023).

The Committee considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer that provided provides an update and overview of progress made in delivering the Council’s refreshed Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) during Quarter 3 2023-24 (October – December 2023)

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing an introduction and background, noting that the refreshed CCAP was endorsed by the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee and approved by the Council’s Executive Committee in September 2022;

·         Proving an update on carbon emissions and noting that emissions reported as part of the Quarter 3 report covered the previous quarter (Q2), in this case July to September 2023 due to energy billing being quarterly in arrears;

·         Reporting that as a result of the National Grid increasing the amount of natural gas and coal in the production of electricity over the last year, this had increased the carbon intensity of the national electricity system by 7%, which in turn impacted our own emissions, via the conversion factor; and

·         Information relating to the key messages for Quarter 3 across a range of activities, noting that since 2020 the Council had remained within its carbon budget each year and the Quarter 3 report showed continued progress was being made with the Council being on track to meet its 2025 target.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         Welcoming the report and the progress reported to date;

·         Was there any risk to the Active Travel Plans for the city as a result of national government funding arrangements;

·         Noting the lack of government funding to support the ambitions of the city, particularly in relation to the important issue of housing retrofit;

·         Welcoming the production of the ‘Developer Design Guide’ and the review of the ‘Manchester Build Standard’ planned for 2024;

·         Welcoming the information provided on the full stock condition survey that had been undertaken across the whole Council owned housing stock as part of the Housing Carbon Reduction workstream;

·         Welcoming the information provided in relation to Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems; and

·         Supporting the proposal for Manchester to become a Carbon Literate City.

The Zero Carbon Manager commented that progress on the delivery of the Active Travel Plan was periodically reported to the Committee and any relevant updates would be included in the next update report. She said that the Highways Department had been significantly involved in drafting the Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems Guide. She commented an issue was in relation to the ongoing maintenance of these and consideration was being given to this. She commented that the stock condition survey had been a useful exercise as this would inform the work around the issue of Housing Carbon Reduction.

The Zero Carbon Manager stated that there was planned projection of the carbon budget towards 2038, noting that the impact on this by such initiatives such as the Power Purchase Arrangements would need to be reported, adding that it was important to recognise that some initiatives would contribute to Manchester’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Report of Manchester City Council, Manchester Airports Group, Centre for Aviation and Transport Emissions, Manchester Climate Change Agency

This report provides a further update to the Committee on emissions from Manchester Airport and aviation. Three separate updates are appended to the report. The first is from MAG which provides an update on their work to decarbonise their ground operations and flights to and from Manchester Airport. The second is a report from the Centre for Aviation and Transport Emissions (CATE) based at Manchester Metropolitan University on estimating the scale and impact of non-CO₂ aviation emissions on climate. The third is a University of Manchester report commissioned by the Manchester Climate Change Agency and Partnership which seeks to estimate the aviation related CO² emissions from flights taken by Manchester residents.

The Committee considered the report of the Manchester City Council, Manchester Airports Group, Centre for Aviation and Transport and Environment, Manchester Climate Change Agency that provided an update on emissions from Manchester Airport and aviation.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Discussion of the Council’s role in relation to reducing aviation emissions via its shareholder relationship to Manchester Airports Group (MAG) who own and operate three UK airports including Manchester Airport, its membership of Manchester Climate Change Partnership and as an employer;

·         An update from MAG which provided information on their work to decarbonise their ground operations and flights to and from Manchester Airport;

·         A report from the Centre for Aviation, Transport and Environment (CATE) based at Manchester Metropolitan University on estimating the scale and impact of non-CO₂ aviation emissions on climate; and

·         A report from the University of Manchester who had been commissioned by the Manchester Climate Change Agency and Partnership which sought to estimate the aviation related CO² emissions from flights taken by Manchester residents. 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         Challenging the continued narrative that the economic benefits of the airport outweighed the need to take immediate action to address the climate emergency;

·         Challenging the assertion that aviation emissions could be reduced by technology, asserting that this was largely untested and unproven;

·         There was no accompany carbon reduction action plan to report progress and key milestones;

·         Noting that there was a contradiction between using agricultural land and domestic waste to manufacture Sustainable Aviation Fuel when the wider message and intention was to reduce waste;

·         The need to reduce the number of flights taken, adding that the report appeared to celebrate an increase in passenger numbers;

·         The number of domestic flights needed to reduce, and people should use other forms of sustainable transport;

·         Criticising the cancellation of HS2 to Manchester; and

·         Challenging the assertion that an increase in the costs of flights due to the introduction of new technologies would reduce passenger numbers, adding that affluent people would continue to fly and the less well-off would be excluded.

Neil Robinson, CSR & Future Airspace Director, MAG stated that industry initiatives, such as increased efficiency in the use of aircraft and airspace would contribute to reducing emissions associated with the aviation industry. He said that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) was a proven technology, and the challenge was now to produce this at scale to service the aviation industry. He said that there were plans to establish five production plants across the UK, with one of the servicing Manchester Airport directly. He further commented that existing generation of aircraft could use a minimum of 10% SAF. In terms of carbon savings, he said that this would be realised through the life cycle of SAF, namely in the manufacturing of SAF as opposed to kerosene. He further commented that the approach was consistent with the government’s Jet Zero strategy, the framework and plan for achieving net zero aviation by 2050 and was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report of the Strategic Director, Growth & Development

This report provides information on the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan (GM CAP) as submitted to the Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) for consideration, December 2023.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director, Growth and Development that provided information on the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan (GM CAP) as submitted to the Joint Air Quality Unit for consideration, December 2023.

Appended to the report for reference was the complete report that had been considered by the Greater Manchester Air Quality Administration Committee at their meeting of 20 December 2023.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing an introduction and background;

·         Noting that the 10 GM local authorities were committed to delivering an investment-led, non-charging GM Clean Air Plan;

·         Discussion on the development of an investment-led Clean Air Plan for Greater Manchester;

·         Consideration of the bus investment of £51.2 million;

·         The approach to taxis and associated taxi licensing conditions to reduce associated emissions; and

·         Targeted Local Traffic Management Measures.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·         Whilst recognising the approach of Greater Manchester to improve air quality, Manchester should develop a bespoke, Manchester specific strategy to improve air quality that exceeds the national minimum standard;

·         Noting that poor air quality represented a significant public health risk to all residents of the city;

·         Was wind conditions and the impact of high building factored into modelling’

·         The need to articulate a collective message on the issue of air quality;

·         A member commented that he was not confident that the modelling in relation to Quay Street would improve air quality and this needed to be considered in the context of the wider road network; and

·         The need to consider wood burners and the impact these had on air quality.

The Head of Logistics & Environment TfGM sated that Greater Manchester was now dependent on the government to provide a response to the submission.

The Head of Network Management described the modelling that had been undertaken to inform the plans for Quay Street and adjacent streets to allow access and address issues of through traffic. Officers also stated that high buildings and the impact these had on air quality was factored into any modelling, however accepted that this needed to be strengthened. Members were advised that any schemes would be monitored and evaluated following their introduction.

The Executive Member for Environment and Transport stated that conversations had already commenced to develop a Manchester specific clean air plan, and this would be reported to the Committee at an appropriate time. The Committee were further advised that a GM campaign in relation to wood burners had been recently launched and information would be circulated to the Committee.

Decision

To note the report.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

This is a monthly report, which includes the recommendations monitor, relevant key decisions, the Committee’s work programme and any items for information.

The report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit which contained key decisions within the Committee’s remit and responses to previous recommendations was submitted for comment. Members were also invited to agree the Committee’s future work programme.

Decision

The Committee notes the report and agrees the work programme.