The Officer Executive Decisions committee of Hackney Council met on Friday 15 May 2026 to approve the submission of the final Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) 2026-2030 to the Mayor of London. This plan outlines the council's strategy for improving air quality across the borough over the next five years.

Air Quality Action Plan 2026-2030

The committee approved the submission of the final Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) 2026-2030 to the Mayor of London for approval. This plan is a statutory requirement for Hackney Council, which declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in 2006 due to exceedances of air quality objectives for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter (PM₁₀). The AQAP 2026-2030 replaces the previous plan, which ran from 2021-2025.

The development of the new AQAP has been ongoing since July 2024, involving extensive consultation and engagement with stakeholders. The plan aims to address current air quality issues in Hackney, including the significant downward trend in NO₂ concentrations since 2017, believed to be primarily due to reductions in road traffic emissions. However, concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 have not shown the same downward trend, likely due to more varied sources such as non-exhaust traffic emissions, construction, and wood burning. The plan also acknowledges the evolving evidence base regarding the health effects of air pollution, including revised guidelines from the World Health Organization.

The report presented to the committee outlined minor amendments made to the AQAP following its submission to the Mayor of London. These amendments, affecting actions related to numbers 2, 3, 4, 11, and 32, were considered minor as they did not alter the actions themselves, the policy direction, or the overall spirit of the plan. Some wording was clarified for ambiguity, and targets were made more specific for reporting purposes. Updates were also made to supporting evidence in Section 2 of the AQAP to reflect more recent statistics.

The decision to approve the submission was made using authority delegated by the Cabinet on 26 January 2026 (Key Decision No. HCE S652). This delegation allowed the Director of Environment and Climate Change to make minor amendments requested by the Mayor of London and formally adopt the final version. The AQAP 2026-2030 supports Hackney Council's Labour Manifesto commitment to tackle air pollution and aligns with the Mayoral priority to improve quality of life by addressing air quality issues.

The report also detailed the extensive consultation process undertaken, including an early engagement phase and a statutory consultation between July and September 2025. Equalities considerations were proactively addressed through an iterative Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) process, with the final EqIA to be published alongside the AQAP. The environmental and sustainability implications of the plan were also appraised, ensuring that measures to improve air quality work in tandem with climate change and sustainability goals.

The committee was assured that the risk of the AQAP not being accepted by the Mayor of London was low due to prior consultation. The report also addressed risks related to air quality objectives not being met, impacts on protected characteristics, and reputational risks. There were no new financial implications arising from this decision, as any actions requiring additional funding would follow normal council financial processes. The plan includes an expanded matrix outlining proposed actions, their estimated values, and potential funding sources.

The final version of the AQAP 2026-2030, along with its supporting EqIA and the Cabinet decision report, are available as appendices to the report. The AQAP will be formally adopted as Council policy once approved by the Mayor of London. Progress with delivering the measures within the AQAP will be reported annually to the Mayor of London in Hackney's Air Quality Annual Status Report.