Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer and City Solicitor attached

The Executive considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer and City Solicitor, which set out the proposed Greater Manchester Final Clean Air Plan (CAP)and policy following a review of all the information gathered through the GM CAP consultation and wider data, evidence and modelling work which was to be agreed by the ten Greater Manchester local authorities.

The Executive Member of Environment highlighted that poor air quality was the biggest environmental risk to poor health and this plan was key to achieving not only the Council’s legal obligations to improving air quality but also ensuring that the health of Manchester residents was protected now and in the future.

Councillor Karney welcomed the proposals, commenting that there had been a sea of change amongst Manchester residents in becoming more health conscious and many were now more aware of the importance of clean air within and across the city.

The Leader also highlighted the detrimental impact dirty air had, especially on young people’s growth and development and older peoples respiratory and he believed the Council had a duty to do what it could to make sure Manchester residents had air that was fit to breath.

Decisions

The Executive:-

(1)      Note the progress of the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan.

(2)      Note the progress in the distribution of Bus Retrofit funding.

(3)      Note Ministers’ agreement to include the sections of the A628/A57 in Tameside which form part of the Strategic Road Network within the Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and their request for Tameside MBC, TfGM and Highways England to establish the most appropriate solution for the charging mechanism to be applied on this section of the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

(4)      Approve the GM Clean Air Plan Policy as set out at Appendix 1 of the report, noting that the policy outlines the boundary, discounts, exemptions, daily charges of the Clean Air Zone as well as the financial support packages offered towards upgrading to a compliant vehicle, including the eligibility criteria to be applied.

(5)      Note the Equalities Impact Assessment, as set out at Appendix 2 of the report.

(6)      Note the AECOM Consultation Report, as set out at Appendix 3 of the report;

(7)      Agree the proposed Response to the Consultation which has been prepared by TfGM on behalf of the ten GM local authorities, as set out at Appendix 4 of the report.

(8)      Note the Impacts of COVID-19 Report, as set out at Appendix 5 of the report.

(9)      Agree the Modelling report of the final CAP package, as set out at Appendix 6 of the report, and in particular that the modelling outputs of the final plan scheme show the achievement of compliance with the legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide in the shortest possible time and by 2024 at the latest as required by the Ministerial Direction.

(10)   Note the economic implications of the CAP Report, as set out at Appendix 7 of the report.

(11)   Note the update on the GM Minimum Licensing Standards, set out in section 3.1, and in particular that licensing conditions will not be used to support delivery of the GM Clean Air Plan.

(12)   Approve a 6-week public consultation on the inclusion of motorhomes classified as MSP1 in the GM Clean Air Zone and on the inclusion of the A575 and A580 at Worsley commencing on 1 September 2021 and delegate authority to the Executive Member for Environment to approve the consultation materials.

(13)   Note that the GM Clean Air Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to make the Charging Scheme Order which establishes the GM Charging Scheme in line with the agreed GM Clean Air Plan Policy.

(14)   Note that the GM Charging Authorities Committee has the authority to vary the Charging Scheme Order if this is established as the most appropriate charging mechanism to be applied on sections of the A628/A57 part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in Tameside.

(15)   Note that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to agree the final form of the Operational Agreement for the Central Clean Air Service, and to authorise the making of the Agreement, on behalf of the ten GM local authorities.

(16)   Note that the Air Quality Administration Committee has the authority to:

a.      establish and distribute the funds set out in the agreed GM Clean Air Plan policy;

b.      approve the assessment mechanism agreed with JAQU to ensure that Clean Air Funds can be adapted if necessary;

c.       keep the use of the funds under review and to determine any changes in the amounts allocated to each and their use; and

d.      monitor and evaluate the joint local charging scheme.

(17)   Approve the reallocation of funding from the Try Before You Buy scheme to provide additional electric vehicle charging points dedicated for use by taxis.

(18)   Delegate to the GM Charging Authorities Committee the authority to determine the outcome of the consultation on both the inclusion of motorhomes classified as MSP1 within the scope of Clean Air Zone charges and on the inclusion in the GM Clean Air Zone of the A575 and A580 at Worsley following the conclusion of that consultation.

(19)   Approve the Clean Air Zone ANPR and signage locations, as set out at Appendix 10 of the report.

(20)      Agree a delegation to Deputy Chief Executive to approve the submission of the Interim Full Business Case if required and Executive Member for Environment the Full Business Case (FBC) to the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit to support the GM Clean Air Plan and any supplementary information to that Unit.