Agenda item

Report of the Environmental Policy Officer, Markets and Consumer Protection

The Committee received the report of the Environmental Policy Officer, Markets and Consumer Protection regarding air quality in the City.  Members noted that many City policies support action to reduce air pollution and the City Corporation had an Air Quality Strategy outlining action that is being taken. An assessment had been undertaken, by independent consultants, to consider what additional action the Health and Wellbeing Board could take to support a reduction in air pollution, leading to an improvement in the health and wellbeing of City residents and workers.

The assessment suggested that the Health and Wellbeing Board could act to reduce air pollution by considering the scale of the problem, appraising the air pollution benefits of City policies, helping identify important areas for action, embedding knowledge, providing guidance and encouraging the commissioning of information and other services.

The Board noted their role in the assessment of the health needs of the local population in order to inform and guide the commissioning of health, well-being and social care services within the City. Officers informed Members that this was done through the Health and Wellbeing profile, and had historically been completed in conjunction with Hackney Council. The City utilised a public consultation event as the prioritisation framework to identify those issues which would form the priorities in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Through public consultation, air pollution was ranked as the third highest public health concern for City residents. Prioritisation is supported by the evidence reviewed for this report.

RESOLVED: That Members requested Officers to:

• conduct a rapid Health Impact Assessment on the Local Implementation Plan of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, similar to the one carried out on the Local Plan.

• assess the air quality implications of the proposals contained within the Area Enhancement Strategies and identify which urban enhancement interventions were the most beneficial from a public health perspective.