The Committee approved the minutes of its last meeting and asked for further information on the cost of options for the Pimlico District Heating Undertaking, and a fuller response on resident affordability. It was recommended that the Council's Air Quality Action Plan should no longer state that brake wear from electric vehicles is a significant contributor to air pollution.

Air Quality Action Plan

The main topic of discussion in this meeting was a report on proposals for an evidence-based Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP).

The Committee heard that, while Westminster has made progress on reducing Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions, levels of particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 are still a concern.

Whilst there are limitations and uncertainties associated with the data and modelling approach, the study identified a number of key headlines, including that... PM2.5 concentrations from external sources will still surpass WHO Guidelines by 2040, posing a real challenge to our work on this pollutant compliance. This means we must seek to reduce pollution originating from outside the city boundary to meet our public health ambitions.

— Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), 7.4

The Committee was told that a study by Imperial College London had shown that industrial and commercial activity in Westminster is due to become a more significant source of NOx emissions than road transport by 2040. The Committee heard that commercial cooking is set to be the largest single source of PM2.5 emissions by 2040.

The Committee discussed how residents perceive air quality, and heard that, according to a City Survey:

St James’s (52.2%) and Maida Vale (47.5%) had the poorest perceived air quality amongst respondents.

— Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), 8.1

The Committee asked questions about the source of this data, and how the Council intends to address emissions from commercial cooking. They asked whether chefs could be educated on the impact of gas cooking, and whether large restaurant groups could be engaged with to reduce emissions. The Committee also queried how the Council quantifies the amount of particulate matter emitted by commercial cooking, compared to domestic cooking.

The Committee were concerned that the AQAP should not lose focus on the impact of transport on air quality. In particular, they asked how the Council plans to address engine idling, and whether this should be tackled through enforcement as well as by raising awareness.

The Committee asked about the role of greenery in improving air quality, and whether it would be possible for the Council to invest in equipment that could analyse the make-up of particulate matter to help focus solutions. The Committee also discussed regenerative braking in electric vehicles and asked if brake wear from EVs should be considered a significant contributor to air pollution.

The Committee questioned the ambitious targets set out in the report, given that modelling suggests that the Council will not be able to meet its targets even if it eliminates all sources of air pollution within Westminster.

Work Programme

The Committee reviewed and approved its work programme for 2024-25.

The Committee requested further information about the cost of options for the Pimlico District Heating Undertaking, following a previous meeting where it was recommended that:

the Council considers affordability per unit/household and that costs of £50,000 per unit should automatically be discounted.

— CAEH Minutes 29.02.24 - Chair Approved, 6.3

The Committee also asked for more detail about how stakeholders and partners had been chosen to contribute to the Sustainable Transport Strategy.