Agenda item

To receive an update from Councillor Mrs Vivienne Chapman on her work during 2018/19 in her capacity as Portfolio Holder for Environment and Health.

Councillor Vivienne Chapman presented an update on the work carried out to date during the 2018/19 Municipal Year in her capacity as Executive Portfolio Holder for Environment and Health.

The Environment and Health Portfolio covered a range of statutory and discretionary services including: environmental heath, business continuity and emergency planning, air quality, health and wellbeing and a number of community services including meals at home, home improvement facility grants and the provision of community alarms.

Arising from the committee’s questions and comments the following points were noted:

·         It was agreed that appropriate telephone numbers would be circulated to members so that officers could be alerted to events requiring urgent action out of hours.

·         The Air Quality Monitoring Station in Castle Road provided real time information which could be viewed through the Council’s website. 

·         In addition to real time monitoring stations, a number of Passive Diffusion Tubes were located around the borough.  These tubes were exposed to the air for one month and the information gathered was analysed to produce an annual reading.  These annual readings were all calibrated and checked before they were submitted to Defra.  Differences between Council measurements and those taken by local residents were attributed to the length of time that Air Quality Diffusion Tubes were being exposed for.  It was agreed that a briefing note explaining how the air quality was measured would be circulated to members.

·         Highways England were monitoring pollution levels along the widened section of the M3.  It was agreed that the results of this monitoring work would be shared with members.

·         Frimley Green and Mytchett had fallen outside the remit of the A331 Air Quality Study.  It would be possible to site a passive air monitor in the area and the timescales for this would be confirmed with members.

·         It was confirmed that air quality monitoring station SH7 was located in Brick Hill in Windlesham near the M3.

·         A feasibility study on the possible impacts that extending the 50mph speed limit along the A331 had been submitted to Defra for consideration and a decision was expected in March.

·         Surrey Heath Clinical Commissioning Group held seven meetings a year which the public could attend and participate in.

·         The Community Services Team had linked into Surrey County Council’s Adult Social Care Team working with Frimley Park Hospital to provide care packages for elderly and infirm patients due to leave hospital.  This partnership also enabled any necessary adaptations to patients’ homes to be progressed so that people were able to return to their own homes without undue delay.

·         Work was taking place to identify and secure alternative income streams to help support the continuing delivery of non-statutory community services for example working with Runnymede Borough Council’s Community Transport Section to provide transport to youth groups and schools.

·         It was questioned what was being done to ensure that the physical and mental health and wellbeing of residents was built into new residential developments as part of the planning process.  It was agreed that the matter would be raised with the Executive Head: Regulatory.

The Committee thanked Councillor Chapman for her update.