Agenda item

The cabinet member for public health and social regeneration to present the theme for the meeting.

The cabinet member for public health and social regeneration, Councillor Maisie Anderson, presented the motion on the themed debate.

Councillor Ben Johnson, the majority opposition group spokesperson, responded to the cabinet member's motion and proposed Amendment A.

Following debate (Councillors Catherine Dale, Jasmine Ali, Dan Whitehead, Kieron Williams, Peter John, Richard Livingstone, Damian O'Brien, Eleanor Kerslake, Johnson Situ, Anood Al-Samerai, Adele Morris), the cabinet member for public health and social regeneration, Councillor Maisie Anderson, responded to the debate.

Amendment A was put to the vote and declared to be Carried.

The motion was put to the vote and declared to be Carried.

RESOLVED:

1.  Council assembly notes:

•  Air quality is a significant problem across London, including in Southwark

•  In 2013, 45% of the population of Southwark was exposed to levels of NO2 above the annual average objective limit

•  That in Southwark, diesel accounts for 91% of the total NOx emissions in the borough and 58% of the total PM10

•  That poor air quality directly impacts on the health and wellbeing of Southwark residents, and affects children, older people, and those with conditions such as heart or lung disease, or asthma most severely

•  That across the UK, around 40,000 deaths are attributable to air pollution each year, incurring £20bn in health costs

•  That 30% of TfL’s bus fleet are diesel-electric hybrids, which produce up to 40% less emissions than standard diesel buses.

2.  Council assembly believes:

•  That Southwark Council is already taking proactive steps to tackle the problem of poor air quality by encouraging and facilitating a culture of active travel 

•  That promoting forms of active travel is an essential part of improving the wellbeing of our residents, both because it reduces the number of people travelling in pollutant emitting vehicles, and because physical activity improves wellness in itself

•  That facilitating a reduction in the number of diesel vehicles should be a priority for the government

•  That reducing the number of diesel buses should be a priority for Transport for London (TfL)

•  That small business, charities, schools and low income households might struggle to replace diesel vehicles due to financial constraints

•  The proposed National Diesel Scrappage Fund would provide support for small business, charities, schools and low income households to replace their diesel vehicles with lower emission vehicles

•  That poor air quality directly and negatively impacts on the wellbeing of residents in Southwark, and that this council should continue to work to tackle this problem.

3.  Council assembly therefore resolves to call on cabinet:

•  To lobby TfL to increase the number of diesel-electric hybrid buses on routes through Southwark.

•  To continue to press the government and the Secretary of State for Transport to reform the Vehicle Excise Duty and to create a National Diesel Scrappage Fund to encourage the removal of the most polluting vehicles on our roads.

•  To continue to promote active forms of travel, such as walking and cycling.

•  To extend the Cycle Hire scheme to Bermondsey and Rotherhithe by committing funding for the capital costs associated

•  To support the campaign for an extra station on the Bakerloo Line Extension at Bricklayer’s Arms/New Kent Road.

•  To install air pollution monitors in the most polluted schools, including all schools near main roads; and pilot the use of public pollution monitors outside these schools.

•  To strengthen air quality measures in local planning policy, by guaranteeing that all section 106 levied for air quality on new developments is spent on air quality mitigation.