Decision details
Motions - Healthy Neighbourhoods Schemes
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
Council RESOLVED to approve the following substantive motion (as amended):
Healthy Neighbourhoodsand their part in addressing air quality and climate change
That this Council:
§ embraces its obligations to ensure that every possible intervention against climate change is considered and explored;
§ recognises that air quality in this borough falls well below the standards that should be expected, not least in relation its impact on the physical health and wellbeing of its residents;
§ endorses the intention underpinning Brent’s experimental ‘Healthy Neighbourhoods’;
§ acknowledges the unorthodox conditions attached to conditional government funding necessitating public consultation and engagement within the six-month period of these low traffic trials and not prior to them as might more commonly be expected;
§ welcomes the many lessons that have been, are being, and will continue to be learned throughout this programme with regards to the initiative itself and the manner in which the organisation interacts with the communities it serves;
§ highlights the progress already made through planned and promoted public meetings, thanks each and every participant for their invaluable contributions thus far;
§ thanks those responsible within the organisation for their efforts to date, and commits itself – in light of the importance of these measures as a first tangible foray against climate change set in the context of the new behaviours and habits that they are designed to encourage – to continue providing comprehensive updates to the appropriate forums and committees, this one included, at the earliest opportunity, covering, but not limited to, the following:
- Clarity of the rationale for the introduction of these temporary measures in the various areas;
- Details about how these areas are chosen;
- How we anticipate that they will impact on the council’s active travel, clean air, and climate change targets;
- What stakeholder engagement is involved;
- Comment on how the relative real or perceived pros and cons of these schemes will be weighted and proposed mitigations for addressing concerns of those residents that might feel that others’ ‘gains’ are their ‘losses’;
- Consideration of the risk that some measures may increase congestion elsewhere and the implications that may have on emissions;
- An explanation of overall methodology – including ensuring an adequate baseline for evaluating outcomes, including the goal of lower overall traffic how these schemes will be monitored, and how their viability will be assessed.
Councillors Colwill, Kansagra and Maurice abstained from voting on the amendment to the original motion and substantive motion (as amended) set out above, advising that as an alternative they supported the wording of the original motion.
Publication date: 20/10/2020
Date of decision: 16/10/2020
Decided at meeting: 16/10/2020 - Council
Accompanying Documents: