Question submitted by: Alan Ramage

Plymouth Green Book Club recently read “An Air That Kills” by Dr John Rieuwerts of Plymouth University. It states air pollution in Plymouth is greatest along arterial routes. Legal exceedances and even low levels are harmful especially to the vulnerable, including schoolchildren. What measures are being proposed to address this?

Response: Councillor Lynda Bowyer, Cabinet Member for Adult Health and Social Care

Response: (for completion by City Council officers and Cabinet Members / Chairs)

Plymouth City Council takes air quality seriously and the principles of protecting the air we breathe is contained within the Plymouth & South West Devon Joint Local Plan (JLP), a single strategic plan for the city and the neighbouring district authorities of South Hams and West Devon, that has a timeframe to 2034 and beyond and that is currently in the latter stages of development. The JLP brings together all of the city's long term strategic plans into one place and includes the city’s economic, land use planning, housing, transport and environmental policies ensuring a coordinated approach to how the city evolves. The air quality issue is embedded into the JLP as it was previously in the Plymouth Plan and the Local Development Framework before that.

Air quality monitoring is undertaken in Plymouth continuously at various sites, which meet the criteria for assessment which is prescribed by DEFRA. This includes sites where residents live and could be exposed to increased levels of pollution, such as busy transport routes. This monitoring data is used to compare against the annual air quality objectives, which are set out by Government in regulations. Where levels exceed the objective figures, a Local Authority is required to declare an Air Quality Management Area, including an action plan showing how measures will be implemented to improve air quality.

In Plymouth, an AQMA was declared in 2014 for exceedance of nitrogen dioxide, covering five distinct areas and the adjoining road networks, replacing the previously declared two individual AQMA’s. Transport emissions were identified as the primary contributor. Details of the AQMA are on the Council website.

Plymouth City Council is pleased to report that air quality improvements are being observed in the AQMA, with the majority of the results now being below the air quality objective. We are closely reviewing the situation annually and discussing the observed improvements with DEFRA with a view to revoking or amending the AQMA as soon as we are able.

Key to achieving these results has been the Council’s balanced transport strategy that seeks to support the objective of cleaner, healthier air for its residents and visitors. The strategy has a strong focus on encouraging greater sustainable transport use with more trips undertaken by bus, cycle and foot alongside reducing the need to travel and providing and enabling greater use of cleaner fuel vehicles. The numbers of people cycling in particular has seen a dramatic rise with a 51% increase between 2009-2015, which is a trend that the Council is keen to see continue.

Question submitted by: Mr Danny Bamping

Could the Cabinet Member for Finance please confirm how much the Council currently [1/1/18] holds in total in its ‘non-ring-fenced’ reserves, how much does the council still owe via its LOBO loans and what is the annual interest payments on them?”

Response: Councillor Ian Darcy, Cabinet Member for Finance and IT

Could the Cabinet Member for Finance please confirm how much the Council currently [1/1/18] holds in total in its ‘non-ring-fenced’ reserves.

The Council’s only non – ring fenced reserve is the general fund working balance. As at 1/1/18 this reserve was £9.2m.

How much does the council still owe via its LOBO loans and what is the annual interest payments on them?”

Between 2005 to 2008, the Council took out £100m of borrowing through LOBO (Lenders Option Borrowers Option) loans from various banks. Many Local Authorities were using LOBOs as they offered preferential interest rates at the time.

Most LOBO loans are at rates of around 4% to 5%, with long dated maturities. Based upon current implied market expectations, these are unlikely to be called for at least ten years or possibly longer. If lenders do exercise their option to increase the rate despite economic conditions, it is likely that authorities would be able to refinance loans at a similar or lower rate.

The Council now holds £82m of LOBOs and is in discussion with other banks to refinance some of the LOBO loans. The annual interest payments are approx. £3.6m.

These arrangements are subject to regular reviews as part of the Treasury Management Board’s scope.