Issue - meetings

Cabinet is being asked to approve revoking the existing Smoke Control Areas (SCAs) which only covers a limited area of the city, and implement a single, city-wide SCA, excluding permanent residential moored vessels at this time. These changes are expected to contribute to a sustained reduction in PM_2.5 emissions, leading to improved air quality and better health outcomes for everyone living in or visiting Cambridge.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Environment introduced the report to Cabinet. The purpose of the report was to seek approval to revoke the existing Smoke Control Areas (SCAs) and implement a single, city-wide SCA, excluding permanent residential moored vessels.

The Cabinet Member responded to questions from Cabinet and Councillors in attendance as follows:

i)     With regards to assessing indoor stoves, this could be done by measuring around the indoor air, however it was difficult to know how much this would cost to roll-out.

ii)    Smokeless fuels were readily available to purchase for those on the boats, although these would be more expensive than traditional fuels.

iii)  Previous work had been done to look at electric charge points along the riverbank, although nothing was carried out it could be looked at in the future.

iv)  Solar panels would be beneficial to those on the boats, however it would not be enough to solve their heating and hot water needs.

v)    There was no plan to ban wood burning stoves, they needed to be Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) approved and these could be purchased online or from local suppliers.

vi)  There were still some risks to burning fuels, even smokeless, within a closed space.

vii)Smokeless fuels were more expensive, however this needed to weighed against risk to health.

viii)                 Following wide public consultation, including with the boaters, there were a number of responses from the boaters who relied on wood stove burning for heating and hot water. Removing this access to them without a full solution was deemed inappropriate at this time.

ix)  There was to be a public education campaign, it was believed that most residents would be happy to follow the new guidelines. In the first instance if there were reports of indoor burning then the team would work with the household to educate on the dangers of doing so. If they failed to comply fixed penalty notices could be issued.

x)    Air quality was regularly tested across Cambridge, officers would be able to see if this policy was making a difference.

xi)  Scrutiny could request that a review was presented to their committee at a later date.

xii)It was now illegal to sell non-compliant fuels.

xiii)                 There were unlikely to be signs put up, rather the Council would look to use other channels to educate residents.

xiv)                The Council would be looking at ways of supporting the boaters move to smokeless burning, so that they could be included in the city-wide smoke control area.

xv)                  A DEFRA compliant stove could burn any dry wood. Those available commercially would have to be legally compliant.

xvi)                Any communications would clearly outline what was compliant. This could include Open Door magazine and regular articles being published.

Cabinet resolved (unanimous) to:

Approve revoking the existing Smoke Control Areas (SCAs) and implementing a single, city-wide SCA, excluding permanent residential moored vessels.