Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Tim Allebone.

No declarations were made.

RESOLVED that:

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 May 2022 were approved as a correct record.

The Panel considered a verbal update by the Head of Development, Infrastructure and Funding, regarding the Levelling Up Fund and how work in this area had progressed since June. The Head of Development, Infrastructure and Funding outlined the process by which levelling up projects had been identified and shortlisted.

The Executive Director of Place and Economy assured members that a paper report regarding the Levelling Up Fund would be circulated to members of the Panel following the meeting.

During discussion, the principal points were noted:

·         Members queried which projects had been shortlisted and bid on.

In response, The Head of Development, Infrastructure and Funding clarified that:

·         The shortlisted projects related primarily to the local authority’s ’green agenda’, net zero targets and inclusion accessibility improving life chances.

RESOLVED that:

The report be noted.

The Panel considered a presentation by the Countryside Services Manager, which outlined North Northamptonshire Council’s pollinator policy and how it operated within the legislative framework of the Environmental Act 2021.

During discussion, the principal points were noted:

·         Members commended the detail provided in the presentation and expressed support for the local authority’s aims concerning pollinators.

·         One member suggested that ‘smart targets’ should be implemented into the action plan of the pollinator strategy; particularly around chemical usage, such as Glyphosate.

·         Members queried whether the spot spraying of pesticides had been included in the pollinator policy. One member also questioned whether an option existed for residents to opt out of their properties being sprayed with pesticides.

·         Members queried whether work on highways linked into the pollinator policy - for example, the maintenance of verges on motorways.

·         Members queried whether the pollinator policy would influence future planning policy and the forthcoming North Northamptonshire Strategic Plan. The Panel expressed support for the protection of pollination areas.

·         One member posited that residents desired to see greater action concerning the maintenance of intersections, as tall grass and weeds reduced visibility for motorists.

In response, the Countryside Services Manager clarified that:

·         Officers had considered smart targets and intended to keep them simple, for effective measurement. The local authority particularly sought to measure the amount of new habitat, which would be created through the pollinator strategy. The volume of pesticide usage would also be closely monitored.

·         Ground services colleagues in Kettering would work with their counterparts in Wellingborough to implement the spot spraying of pesticides. The spraying of urban areas in Kettering and Corby was carried out by the local authority. There was no blanket spraying.

·         The policy linked into highways work, around the preservation of green areas on motorways and roundabouts.

·         Officers had liaised with planning colleagues, as well as the county ecologist, to take a joint approach regarding the protection of pollination areas through future planning policy.

·         By the end of 2023, the local authority would have accurate measurements and figures relating to chemical usage.

RESOLVED that:

The report be noted.

The Panel considered a report by the Team Leader of Environmental Protection, which provided a position statement on air quality in North Northamptonshire from 2021 data.

During discussion, the principal points were noted:

·         Members queried whether there were concentrations of particulate matter at certain times of the day, when traffic volume was increased.

·         One member highlighted that the World Health Organisation had recommended a safety level of ten Nitrogen Dioxide per cubic meter, while the UK government had set this level at twenty. The member questioned whether the local authority was looking forward to determine how it would deal with improving air quality to comply with such standards. 

In response, the Team Leader clarified that:

·         The local authority did not monitor particulates in North Northamptonshire. Nitrogen Dioxide levels were measured on average - readings were available monthly. North Northamptonshire Council did not have any automatic monitoring sites, primarily due to the fact that they were expensive to operate.

·         The local authority would utilise action plans, to ensure air quality could be improved to comply with government standards - without a sole dependence on producing AQMAs, when required to do so.

RESOLVED that:

The report be noted.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Climate Change, Environment and Growth Executive Advisory Panel would be held virtually, via Zoom, on Thursday 4^th August at 2:00pm.