The General Licensing Committee will be asked to consider two reports. The first report concerns contaminated land, and the second is about air quality in the district.

Contaminated Land Strategy

The committee will be asked to adopt an updated Joint Contaminated Land Strategy for the council. This replaces the previous strategy that was adopted in 2002. The strategy explains that South Oxfordshire District Council will work with the Vale of White Horse District Council to address land contamination.

The updated strategy focuses on two ways to address historic land contamination:

1. Development Management: Mitigating risk through development management in line with the current National Planning Policy Framework.¹
2. Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990: Prioritising sites for investigation and remediation only where evidence is presented to prove that significant harm is occurring or likely to occur should the local authority not intervene.

The report also proposes that minor changes to the strategy can be approved by a single cabinet member in future.

Revocation of the Wallingford Air Quality Management Area

The committee will be asked to consider a report proposing the removal of the Wallingford Air Quality Management Area (AQMA).

The AQMA was declared when levels of Nitrogen Dioxide in the town were higher than the national objective.

Air pollution levels have significantly reduced in the Wallingford AQMA since its declaration, with the national objectives for nitrogen dioxide being met in Wallingford AQMA since 2017.

The council will continue to monitor air quality in Wallingford, and across the district. If Nitrogen Dioxide levels remain below the national objective in the Henley-on-Thames and Watlington AQMAs, they may be removed in 2025.