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Cross-party portfolio holder advisory group to oversee Air Pollution Mitigation Strategy outcome.
At the extraordinary meeting of Epping Forest District Council on 8 February, councillors resolved to form a cross party portfolio holder advisory group to assist the administration in the implementation of air pollution mitigation measures. Councillor Nigel Bedford, Cabinet Portfolio Holder responsible for Planning put forward the proposal as an amendment to the original motion proposed by Councillor Chris Pond.
The motion (as amended) read:
The Council hereby declares that
- it will determine planning applications only on the basis of the law, including the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other National Planning Guidance, the 1998 Local Plan, and the latest iteration of the new Local Plan;
- the Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability will form a cross party Portfolio Holder Advisory Group in no more than 1 month from the date of this resolution; and
- the Group is formed to support the Portfolio Holder in the delivery of the Interim Air Pollution Mitigation Strategy and provide oversight of the work of the Technical Stakeholder Group. This could include working with officers to identify where further initiatives not identified in the APMS could be brought forward to advance Air Quality Improvements with the objective of removing the need to introduce a Clean Air Zone (CAZ). Alongside the acceleration and enhancement of mitigation measures the Portfolio Holder Advisory Group will provide democratic oversight of the development of any CAZ scheme prior to its consideration through the Council’s formal decision-making processes and public consultation on it in the event that future air quality monitoring and modelling continues to demonstrate that, even after the acceleration and enhancement mitigation measures, a CAZ is required.
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