Agenda and minutes

None.

None.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)     Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b) Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c) Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d) Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e) Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f) Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g) Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

None.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee meeting on 14 April 2015 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

Questions from members of the public were addressed during the relevant items.

None.

Sukky Choongh-Campbell, Principal Technical Officer and Paul Clift, Principal Environmental Health Officer presented the report which outlined the progress made against the recommendations of the Air Quality scrutiny review.

In the presentation and the discussion which followed, the following points were made:

•          Islington had met the Particulate Matter objective for the last six years but was still exceeding the Nitrogen Dioxide at the roadside objective.

•          Work was taking place with neighbouring boroughs, businesses and schools and the council continued to lobby the Mayor of London to tackle bus emissions in the borough.

•          The council had conducted research on the costs and benefits to being part of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and had found that it would cost £174million and this would not be proportional to the health benefits. The study found that Euro 6 diesel fuelled passenger vehicles did not deliver the reduced emissions claimed by manufacturers. The council had asked the Mayor for London to ban all diesels in the Ultra-Low Emission Zone and would continue to lobby the Mayor. The Chair expressed concern that Islington would not be part of the ULEZ and suggested that if the infrastructure was put in place, the vehicles entitled to use the zone could then be specified.

•          A feasibility study for the potential for compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling in Islington was taking place. If this was possible, some of the larger fleet vehicles could be replaced with those fuelled by CNG. CNG fuel produced significantly lower emissions than those from diesel.

•          Bronze accreditation for the Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) was achieved in 2014. The council would soon be applying for silver.

•          Cleaner Air Borough status would be determined through the progress of actions detailed in the Air Quality Strategy.

•          There was more work to be done but the council was continuing to work to improve air quality. It had introduced the diesel surcharge and tackled idling vehicles which both raised awareness and officers sat on relevant forums including the Mayor’s Breathe Better Together campaign. Air quality was continually being monitored.

•          The council was working with the car club.

•          Hackney was conducting a study on a diesel scrappage scheme and would share the results with Islington.

•          Work was taking place to ascertain whether the council could procure vehicles that would reduce the diesel take up. One completed, a draft report would be shared with the committee if suitable for distribution.

•          Improving air quality would reduce hospital admissions.

RESOLVED:

1) That the report be noted.

2) That the draft report on any options for procuring vehicles that would reduce the diesel take up be shared with the committee if suitable for distribution.

Councillor Webbe, Executive Member for Environment and Transport Fuel Poverty gave a presentation on performance in Environment and Regeneration.

In the presentation and the discussion which followed, the following points were made:

Fuel Poverty

•          Over 600 new efficient boilers had been installed in 2014/15 with 40% of these in vulnerable households.

•          Over 4,000 new boilers had been installed since 2010/11.

•          The council’s insulation programme was now coming to a close after nearly 11,000 council homes had been insulated since 2010/11. Any boiler replacements currently due to take place would be completed in the next year.

•          Each year 800 households received ‘Energy Doctor in the Home’ small measures and advice. 

•          Bulk-referrals to the annual Warm Home Discount brought in £160,000 to the borough.

•          400 households had signed up for a social tariff on water bills which brought in around £70,000 this year.

•          The estimated annual cost savings to Islington households in receipt of various measures was as follows: new boilers - £125, loft insulation - £49, cavity wall insulation - £147, solid wall insulation - £211, Energy Doctor in the Home measures - £90, Warm Home Discount - £135

•          Total estimated savings to residents from energy efficiency improvements, price support and debt relief was £700,000 every year at current prices.

•          Joined up working was taking place between the Environment and Regeneration and Housing departments to address Fuel Poverty and Councillors Webbe and Murray were the executive members leading on this. They both sat on the Affordable Energy Board.

Seasonal Health Interventions Network (SHINE)

•          In 2014/15, 2,500 vulnerable residents were referred, each being offered an average of four to five interventions.

•          The scheme was gradually moving onto harder to reach clients as well as receiving second referrals.

•          Work was recognised by an award from the Energy Institute while the team was shortlisted for LGC ‘Team of the Year’ award.      

Energy Services

•          Bunhill Heat and Power (phase 2) would supply a further 500 new homes. There was likely to be Department of Energy and Climate Change funding for taking heat from Regents Canal.  

•          Work was taking place across the council and with partners to continually reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions.                

•          Local Air Quality had a significant impact on health inequalities, particularly the large numbers of deaths at relatively young ages from cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory diseases. Exposure to high levels of air pollution, particularly diesel emissions, exacerbated these conditions.

•          The most heavily polluted areas in Islington were also the most deprived wards.

•          Lobbying and joint working with TfL, Mayor of London and other neighbouring boroughs was important.    

•          There was a task and finish group looking at options surrounding solar panels. It was suggested that consideration could be given to installing solar panels not just on council owned buildings but also on non council owned buildings.

•          Resident exposure could be reduced through the use of Air Text notifications, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79.

RESOLVED:

That the final report be agreed subject to the following amendments:

1) That recommendation 5 be amended to read, “That the council lobbies the government and the Mayor of London for more investment for fuel poverty reduction schemes, particularly in harder to treat housing.”

2) That a recommendation be added to see if draught insulation in void properties was included in council void contracts and that if it was not, this should be included in contracts in the future. The wording of the recommendation was delegated to officers.

RESOLVED:

1) That the report be noted.

2) That the findings of the solar panels on council buildings task and finish group be submitted to the next meeting of the committee.