(a)

air quality improvements had been seen in all the areas, since the introduction of an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in 2014; the AQMA covered Exeter Street, Mutley Plain, Stoke Village, Royal Parade, Tavistock Road and connecting roads);

(b)

emissions from road transport were the greatest cause of air pollution within the City;  the Council had a balanced transport strategy that sought to support the objective of cleaner and healthier air; the Council had produced a joint Air Quality Action Plan/Transport Plan, in order to implement various schemes to control traffic and pollution levels;

(c)

in 2018, diffusion tubes were located in 24 locations (in accordance with Government guidance); other tubes were located for transport purposes to assess the impact of new or planned road schemes; the results of this monitoring had shown that air quality had been improving in most areas across the City;

(d)

the Environment Agency regulated the operations undertaken by the Energy from Waste site and issued the facility with an Environmental Permit; the Environment Agency had reported that the site had performed well with no concerns regarding emissions to air;

(e)

MVV Devonport Ltd undertook air quality monitoring of the potential impact of the site and were required to do so as part of the Environmental Permit and planning permission.

(f)

what processes were in place to consider air quality issues, as part of the strategic planning process and major transport schemes;

(g)

concerns raised by the residents of Sherford, that traffic congestion at Stanbury Cross was causing air pollution in this area;

(h)

how the results from the monitoring of air quality audited and what process was in place to investigate ‘spikes’ in the results;

(i)

whether there was evidence to show that major transport schemes, such as the Forder Valley Link road/interchange, would reduce emissions and if this was being widely communicated;

(j)

whether there was a communication strategy relating to the Council’s conflicting position of declaring a climate emergency whilst continuing to build new roads; the public’s perception was that by building new roads this was encouraging more pollution rather than reducing emissions;

(k)

what extent was the national expectation for the increase in the use of electric vehicles incorporated into modelling for air pollution forecasting within the City;

(l)

whether there was support/funding available from Central Government for air quality monitoring;

(m)

whether there were any links to the mortality rates (due to air pollution issues) related specifically to the five areas contained with the AQMA.