Agenda item

The Director of City Services advised that, as a component of the Council’s ongoing statutory duties in respect of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM), as established via Part III of the Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2022, the Council was required to provide annual Updating and Screening Assessments or Progress Reports to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) for technical appraisal and subsequent publication via the DAERA NI Air website. The Members were advised that previous Council air quality reports were accessible via the following weblink:

https://www.airqualityni.co.uk/laqm/district-council-reports#511

            The timetable for such reporting was established in Table 1.2 Phased Approach - Cycle of Reporting for Northern Ireland of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(Defra) Local Air Quality Management Technical Guidance (TG22). As part of the 8th round of local air quality management reporting, the Council’s 2023 Air Quality ProgressReport was due to be submitted to DAERA for technical appraisal by 30th June 2023. The Members were advised that the Council had obtained an extension to the submission date from DAERA to enable the 2023 Progress Report to be considered at Committee prior to its submission to the Technical Appraisers. This approach reflected a decision taken at the People and Communities meeting of 9th November 2021 to review air quality reports prior to their submission to DAERA.

            The Members were advised that an Air Quality Progress Report was considered to be in draft format until it had been assessed and accepted by DAERA’s independent Technical Appraisers, therefore, the report had been ‘restricted’ on the agenda.

            The Members considered the report, which provided an overview of the 2023 Belfast City Council Air Quality Progress Report and of the key findings, as available at Appendix 1.

            A Member stated that he would like to see the Air Quality Management Areas along the Ormeau Road and the Newtownards Road maintained at present and would like this reflected in the report. 

            The Director of City Services agreed to liaise with DEARA to discuss this matter further.

            A further Member referred to the fact that the Council was not the lead authority in respect of some of the areas of concern within the air Quality Action Plan for the city and, given the current funding pressures, it was possible that some actions might not be able to be progressed. 

The Committee:

·        agreed the 2023 Belfast City Council Air Quality Progress Report, subject to rewording of the suggestion within the report that the Air Quality Management Areas along the Ormeau Road and the Newtownards Road might potentially be revoked;

·        agreed that the report be submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) independent Technical Appraisers immediately after the Committee meeting, noting that the submission was subject to Council ratification and call-in procedures;

·        agreed to highlight in the correspondence to DAERA that the Council was not the lead authority in respect of some of the areas of concern within the air Quality Action Plan for the city and that actions falling to other Government departments, for example, DfI might not be realised, given the funding pressures and changes in budget; and

·        agreed that the Environmental Protection Manager would liaise directly with Councillor Black regarding the feasibility of the Forth Meadow Greenway being considered for additional assessment around air quality and noise. Agreed that the manager would also engage with DAERA regarding the status of the four existing AQMAs referenced in the report.