Agenda item
Questions from Members of the Public
Minutes:
Question a) from Greg Foxsmith to Councillor Webbe, Executive Member for Environment and Transport:
How did the Council promote
National Walking Month in May this year, and Walk to School Week in
the same month?
Reply:
Greg Foxsmith was not present in the
chamber and will therefore be sent a written reply.
Question b) from Paul Milican to Councillor Webbe, Executive Member for Environment and Transport
It is estimated that 100 Islington residents die each year from health effects that are exacerbated by poor air quality. Is it not your responsibility to ban barbecues so that the 8 out of 10 residents who do not have a back garden can enjoy fresh air on warm days rather than have serious health issues exacerbated by the pollutants that barbecues emit? You have stated that there is no public health risk from BBQs but given there is no level at which PM2.5 is deemed safe, what proof do you have?
Reply:
There is evidence that particulate matters impact on health where
there is constant exposure, such as people living next to busy
roads and gyratories, but Public Health
have reviewed the impacts of air pollution and barbeques and
concluded they are unlikely to exceed limits. Given that we have lots of residents without a
garden our outside space, the Council has decided to continue allow
using barbeques but will we continue to monitor and manage and
Parks Patrol will continue to ensure that smoke impacts are
minimised.
Supplementary question:
In 2015 the Council commissioned a report. The original report dated 1 October showed levels of PM2.5 even worse than some vehicle impacts, but the graphs and tables were removed before the report was made public, so it is impossible to compare barbeques with Marylebone Road traffic. What reasons can you give for redacting the information.
Reply:
The Council commissioned a report from King’s College in
which the pollution levels were collected over a weekend by people
using personal monitors. It provided a
snapshot, but the monitors only recorded 5 minutes exposure and
this is not a sufficient or accurate enough measure to provide data
for a comparative analysis with the levels near a busy road over a
period of 12 months, so I understand this was removed from the
draft report. The final report issued
by King’s College gave an accurate assessment of the impact
of barbeques. The Public Health team
have also reviewed the impacts and the number of times people have
barbeques over a year will not have the same cumulative effect as
the constant presence of particulate matter. The report provides the public with a clear
assessment of the impacts.
Question c) from Leyla Daybelge
to Councillor Webbe, Executive
Member for Environment and Transport
A monitoring report on barbecues commissioned by the council in 2015 indicated that PM2.5 pollution levels in Highbury Fields caused by widespread barbecue use were three times the level of one of London's busiest roads. These fine particles are known to cause heart and lung disease. Given that there is no level at which PM2.5 particles are deemed safe, should the council not take a precautionary approach and ban barbecues on its green spaces?
Reply:
This is a very similar
question. The Council did commission a
report from Kings College which included members of the public
collecting readings over a weekend, but the data was not sufficient
to be verified as scientifically accurate. People were taking measurements standing in the
vicinity of a lit barbeque, not on the street or in their
homes. The final report from
King’s College reflects the reality, which is not comparable
to a busy roadside site in London. The draft report failed to point
out that the levels are not comparable, and showing the levels
alongside readings for a busy roadside site gave a false
impression; they do not equate by any standards so King’s
College amended this in the final version of the report.
As barbeques are only used on a limited number of days, the impact
of their use will not breach national standards and the Public
Health team have undertaken their own review and concluded there is
no risk. The Council is therefore
continuing it’s popular policy to allow barbeques on Highbury
Fields.
Supplementary question:
I would like to dispute
Councillor Webbe’s
interpretation. On warm days there are
children who don’t have gardens playing on Highbury Fields
and they inevitably breathe in PM2.5 known to stunt lung growth in
children and the stunt the growth of foetus’ in their
mother’s wombs.
Reply:
The policy to allow barbeques is one that residents wanted to see
happen. This is a borough of two halves
and many residents don’t have room for children to run and
play, or to have barbeques with family and friends. Based on our understanding of particulate matter
and the likely probabilities of impact, allowing residents to
choose if they want to enjoy our parks by having barbeques with
family and friends is the right thing to do.
The meeting was then opened to questions from the floor.
Question from Ernestas Jegorovas. Can anyone
from the Executive explain why there have been no Ward Partnership
meetings in Caledonian and St Mary’s wards?
Reply from Councillor Watts, Leader of the Council:
The ward councillors in both
wards hotly dispute that there have been no meetings. I’ve been to a range of Cally Road meetings. I
haven’t been to a St Mary’s meeting, but I would be
happy to go if invited. As they hotly
deny the accusation, I support my colleagues.
Question from a member of the public regarding plans for a cycle
path on Brecknock Road.
Reply from Councillor Webbe, Executive Member for Environment and Transport:
We clearly have an agenda to improve and expand the cycle networks across the borough. Consultation is taking place now on proposals to join up the networks in the south of the borough. We have implemented covered cycle storage in St. Georges Ward and have encouraged ward councillors to include measures to support cycling in their ward improvement plans. I encourage you to look at the website and is there isn’t a request there already, to submit one. We will look at it favourably. All our cycling requests are there. The Council doesn’t hold a budget for cycle routes, that rests with the Mayor of London and we have to fight hard to secure funds. We are waiting to see what the new Mayor’s strategy, but we expect that cycling and walking will remain key priorities.
Question from a member of the public regarding Housing Associations. I’ve been a resident for about 40 years. Housing Associations have got completely out of control and have taken over council housing. Is there a way Islington Council can get the Housing Associations to help relocate people rather than getting them to sell?
Reply from Councillor Diarmaid
Ward, Executive Member for Housing and Development:
I am new in post, but I hope to build on James Murray’s
legacy. If there is a particular issue
with a specific Housing Association please let me know and I will
look into it.
Question from a member of the
public regarding barbeques on Highbury Fields: Without wanting to labour the issue, I would like
to ask Councillor Webbe how she feels about people who’d like
to come to open spaces to breathe clean air. On a good weekend over
1,000 people have barbeques on Highbury Fields. I have tried to count them but you lose count when
you walk around. The air is
choking. I understand that the figures
for particulate matter are averaged, but on a good day the figures
are shocking. I was one of the people
who took measures. Inside the house it
is already the level of Marylebone Road and outside the level is
worse.
Reply from Councillor Webbe, Executive Member for Environment and
Transport:
We are committed to clean air.
Barbeques only happen on a few days in the whole year and they
don’t amount to annual levels of harm. I would dispute that there are high levels inside
the home. The final report was signed
off by King’s College themselves. Our own Public Heath team
also carried out a review. The reality
is, as I’ve said before, we live in a borough with
inequalities. The same people who were
opposed to this because they didn’t want people in their
‘back garden’ are now opposing it on pollution grounds.
Highbury Fields belongs to us all. Many
other people turn up to enjoy the Fields with their children,
family and friends and they say that they want
barbeques.
Supporting documents: