Issue - meetings

To consider the current impact of air quality on health in the Borough and the potential future impact from the Eco Park and Heathrow airport.

The Pollution Control Officer presented a report reviewing the air quality in the borough.  The principal pollutant in the Spelthorne area was nitrogen dioxide and this had been monitored locally since 1996.  There were three continuous monitoring stations in the borough located in Stanwell, Sunbury Cross and Upper Halliford.  The monitoring station at Sunbury Cross was funded by the Council until December 2018 and was subject to a growth bid for continued funding.  The levels of nitrogen dioxide had continued to exceed the required annual national air quality objective in some monitoring locations in the borough, particularly alongside major roads and busy junctions.

The report highlighted four actions being taken to raise awareness of the impact of air quality: a Surrey Schools project to educate pupils on air quality issues and encourage a change in modes of travel to school, an Air Alert scheme to offer advice to help those with respiratory conditions manage them when air quality was poor, participation in national air quality campaigns, and the introduction of electric vehicle car charging points in the borough. 

Also considered was the potential impact on air quality of the expansion of Heathrow and the Eco Park. The Pollution Control Officer advised that the construction work for Heathrow expansion would last for approximately 9 years with resultant impact on air quality and noise.  Airport car parking for up to 25,000 cars was being proposed for land at Stanwell Moor. Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) had said that expansion would not increase airport related traffic from today’s levels but Spelthorne Borough Council was sceptical of this claim. 

Members asked a number of questions about the location of the air quality monitoring stations, whether the proposed Esso pipeline would have any effect on air quality in the area, and electric vehicle charging points.  The Pollution Control Officer agreed to circulate enhanced maps that clearly identified the location of air quality monitoring stations in each area of the borough together with a list of roads where the monitors were situated.

At the suggestion of a member, the Committee agreed to make the portfolio holder aware that they supported the continued funding of the Sunbury Cross monitoring station.

Richard Parkinson of Surrey County Council, Jorge Hau from Suez the Eco Park operators, and Stephen Othen of Fichtner Consultant Engineers, gave a presentation on the operation of the Eco Park (attached). This included an overview of the project, including the layout and the different processes: recycling and recovery, gasification and anaerobic digestion. 

They advised that emissions from the Eco Park were regulated and if pollutants exceeded the permitted levels they were required to close down within four hours.  The pollutants were constantly measured in the flue and a monitor was located on the chimney itself where the greatest concentrations would be found. 

The presenters responded to questions from members about keeping information simple and not too technical for the benefit of the public, conversion of waste to electricity, siting of the monitoring equipment, and access to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 276