Agenda item

City Council Environment Officers will be present to discuss the recent television documentary on air pollution in the city.

Adrian Russell, Director Environmental Services, was present to discuss the recent television documentary that listed Leicester as 8^th worst for air pollution in the country. Adrian said he believed the programme had mislead people, as the figures used were for one year only.

Adrian reported that monitoring had been undertaken since 1994, and there were various monitoring sites around the city, and referred to the sites at Glenhills Way and New Walk Centre Plaza. Adrian said levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) dropped off dramatically when away from main roads.

Adrian reported that the maximum annual mean of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre of NO₂ was acceptable, and read the following readings taken from the monitoring site at the New Walk Centre Plaza for the years 1994 to 2011:

Adrian said the reporter for the television programme had unfairly selected the figure for 2010 only, which had seen an increase in the reading for NO₂. Adrian said the higher level could be attributed to the severe weather in 2009/10, when still, frosty winter weather suppressed the dispersion of pollution and allowed levels to build up during long periods of slow moving or stationery traffic, when the road network was affected by snow and ice. He added that there were higher readings at junctions also.

Adrian said the air quality in Leicester was no different to any other city, but the City Council was committed to improving air quality and were moving in the right direction.

Adrian then took questions from the meeting, and gave the following responses:

·         Buses sitting idle with engines running were a problem, and the Council were taking part in a study of bus emissions. Data gathered from the exercise would be taken back to the bus companies. Councillor Kitterick commented that City Wardens in Manchester fined idling buses.

·         A resident mentioned that in 2012 there were 250 premature deaths in the city due to pollution, and asked what the City Council was doing to improve air quality. Adrian responded the Council did need to take action, but the majority of areas in the city were of an acceptable level.

·         Drivers should be encouraged to use cars with less emissions, and problems were exacerbated by the narrow gateways into the city, for example, Narborough Road. Adrian said 80% of NO₂ came from vehicles, and there was a concern for people living near to traffic junctions. He added that catalytic converters were ineffective until hot (usually 10 miles of driving).

·         A resident said the traffic should be kept moving, and not idling. They believed the removal of the Belgrave Road flyover would create traffic problems for the city. Adrian responded that a plan would be developed to optimise traffic management systems, and included a plan to divert traffic to Abbey Lane during demolition of the flyover.

A resident said public transport should be made viable, and cycling routes developed and repaired. It was also asked if the Council had plans for a tram system in the city. Residents were informed there were no plans for a tram system. It was acknowledged there were various bus issues in the city, in cost, non-regulation and the service on some routed tailed off early evening and Sundays.

Adrian said the Aylestone Road bus corridor would increase the speed of traffic in that area, as it had along the Oadby bus corridor, though more work was required. Adrian also mentioned the Haymarket bus station project, which would be a pleasant, safer place for people to catch a bus.

Adrian was thanked for the update.