Agenda and minutes

Minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 October 2019.

            (Audio recording refers)

RESOLVED:

            That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 October 2019 be approved and adopted.

To receive and note questions asked and statements made from members of the public on matters which fall within the remit of the Committee.

(Audio recording refers)

Four members of the public/representatives of local groups spoke regarding Items 4 and 5 and their comments are summarised under the relevant minute below.

(Audio recording refers)

RESOLVED:

            That the work programme for 2019/20 be noted.

(Presentation and audio recording refers)

The Chairperson welcomed Fayyaz Qadir, from WS Atkins and Andy Shaw from Hampshire County Council (HCC) who are working with the WCC team on the project to the meeting.

The Head of Programme and the Cabinet Member for Service Quality and Transformation gave a presentation updating Members on the progress of the City of Winchester Movement Strategy. The presentation emphasised the aspirations of all stakeholders, the objectives and the HCC and City Council’s studies: Park and Ride, Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), freight and delivery, Winchester City Centre Movement and Place Plan, bus provision, transport modelling and the Parking and Access Strategy which had been considered by Cabinet on 23 December 2019 and was currently out for consultation until 6 February 2020.

The presentation also set out each study work progress and analysis that had been carried out since the agreement of the study format and the initial appointment of the Winchester Movement Strategy Board in July 2019. 

At the invitation of the Chairperson, three members of the public addressed the Committee as summarised below.

Chris Holloway (on behalf of WinACC Transport Action Group):

·         Initially excited that this work would pull together the Movement Strategy, Park and Ride and other aspects as a whole but considered that an overarching reference holding the work altogether was required.

·         References required regarding the impact on the Town Centre from transport emissions and overall congestion from the provision of additional park and ride spaces, the aims for buses and the reduction of emissions from freight.

·         Parking Strategy questionnaire does not link back to this or ask relevant questions.

·         Suggested that Cabinet be asked for the studies, data and facts that this work was based upon be placed in the public domain

Max Priestman

·         Did not consider strategies to be essential.

·         The use of buses for a group travelling together was more costly than sharing a taxi so transport choices needed to be thoroughly investigated.

·         Cyclists and Pedestrians are not using this mode of transport due to unsafe road conditions so more options need to be available to the public and road safety needs to be addressed.

Patrick Davies

·         Endorsed the comments raised by previous speakers.

·         Raised concern over the timing and unnecessary overlap in delivering the Movement Strategy.

·         Queried the terminology used in the Parking and Access Strategy and the time this process would take for all parties involved to move forward.

In response to the points raised during public participation, the Head of Programme clarified that the Movement Strategy, adopted by HCC and endorsed by the Council in March 2019, did set out the framework and objectives for the work with a key objective being to reduce City Centre traffic which formed the overarching strategy. It was emphasised that the delivery of the objectives was critical to achieving the correct approach with the assessment including thorough consultation to inform the whole process. The studies were also fundamental in gathering robust evidence to accurately establish  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

(Presentation and audio recording refers)

The Service Lead: Public Protection and the Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Wellbeing gave a presentation updating Members on the progress that had been achieved on the Air Quality Action Plan to date. 

The presentation made reference to the history and background of the development of the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan ever since the initial management area declaration in 2003 up until the current Air Quality Action Plan which was adopted by the Council in 2017. The Committee noted the current trends, levels of compliance, standards, processes and risks and were advised that the Council do not currently monitor for PM2.5. However, it was reported that a particulate monitor had recently been purchased which would be located in the St George’s Street site shortly. 

The Committee’s attention was drawn to the expected air quality management area in 2020 and 2021 which were based on the current air quality standards and did not take account of any changes to mandatory objectives that could be introduced by the Government going forward.

It was noted that the report setting out recommendations for the Action Quality Action Plan update would be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 22 January 2020.

One member of the public representing a local group addressed the Committee as summarised below.

Chris Gilham (on behalf of Winchester Friends of the Earth)

·         Air Quality Action Plan – concerned to see the proposed reduction of the Air Quality Management area.

·         Time we got passed the nitrogen dioxide legal limits set by the EU as the main issue with air pollution is particulates and this needs to be solved.

·         There was a previous suggestion that the Air Quality Management Area should be extended and particulate measurements were only legal as the threshold was set highly.

·         Air pollution needs to be taken more seriously

·         Reducing traffic was the central problem that needed to be a priority. However, he considered that additional park and ride provision would not reduce central parking or traffic congestion, but a reduction in City Centre parking would have a positive impact.

·         He stated that in order to support bus service alternatives, there was a need to transfer subsidy from motoring to public transport which could be achieved via workplace levies and car parking charges.

Members raised questions or commented regarding the following points which were addressed by the Cabinet Member and relevant officers accordingly:

·         The need to declare the reduction of the air quality monitoring area at this stage, ahead of the monitoring of fine particulates.

·         The fine particulates produced by wood burning stoves

·         When will the monitoring take place for the PM2.5

·         Future use of the diffusion tubes as a result of the reduction of the monitoring area

·         Collection of air quality data outside of the town centre area

·         Current trends on AQMA with the high level of particulates to certain areas i.e. Romsey Road

·         Monitoring pollution levels of traffic coming into Winchester from the M3 – Air  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

(Presentation and audio recording refers)

The Service Lead: Public Protection and the Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Wellbeing gave a presentation updating Members on the options appraisal for the delivery of an electric vehicle charging network.

The Cabinet Member advised that the Council had been working with stakeholders and framework providers to supply electric vehicle charging points in line with the Strategy to be delivered to increase confidence in the use of electric vehicles among residents and visitors with the overall aim of reducing pollution going forward.

The presentation made reference to the background of the electric vehicle infrastructure, how this aligned with the Air Quality Action Plan which cites its delivery as a complementary measure. It was noted that there was no statutory duty to provide charging points but this promoted the use of electric vehicles and supported the council’s carbon reduction aspirations and the Governments road to zero strategy. A strategy was commissioned and undertaken by Horizon Power and Energy which commenced in October 2018 to provide an evidenced based study to determine electric vehicle need within the Winchester District with a focus in the parcels of land that the were in the Council’s control and a small pilot study for on street charging points.  In conjunction with this study, Hampshire County Council were developing a framework to allow access to all public sector bodies, this was procured by JoJu Limited which has now been adopted by many local authorities and subsequently allowed the Council to commission JoJu to carry out two feasibility studies which included connection costs, capital costs, installation costs, repair and maintenance costs and back office costs and a electric vehicle working group was established to progress this matter and assess the feasibility studies, which was set out in detail within the presentation, together with the preferred options to be considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 12 February 2020.

The Cabinet Member drew Members attention to the charging points proposed at Bishops Waltham and Alresford and suggested that as charging points in these areas were already proposed or in situ that a charging point in Denmead be considered as an alternative site and sought Members views on this matter.

Members raised questions or commented regarding the following points which were addressed by the Cabinet Member and relevant officers accordingly:

·         Amount of energy and amount of time charging parameters

·         Parking enforcement

·         Demand and supply of charging units

·         Maintenance and repair as a result of anti social behaviour etc

·         24 hour response

·         Changes to infrastructure and technology over the 15 year term and mitigation measures in this regard

At the conclusion of debate, the Committee thanked the Service Lead: Public Protection for his informative presentation, supported the work carried by JoJu and recognised the need for an electric vehicle charging point to be installed in Denmead where there was currently no electric charging provision expected or in place.

RESOLVED:

            1.         That the content of the presentation be received and the comments of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.