The Environment and Community Services PDS Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss revenue budget monitoring, the capital programme, and air quality in Bromley. The meeting was for information only, and would only be debated if a member of the Committee requested a discussion be held.

Air Quality in Bromley

The committee was scheduled to note the Annual Status Report for Year 2024, which reports on Bromley's air quality. Local authorities are required to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), where measured levels of specified air pollutants exceed national air quality limits. Where an AQMA exists, the local authority is required to produce an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP). The report states that Bromley has declared an AQMA for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).

The report also states that:

Bromley enjoys very good air quality, in comparison to other London boroughs, having not measured an Air Quality Objective Level exceedance since 2019.

The report was scheduled to outline the progress made on the actions within the AQAP and provide the results of the relevant year's air quality monitoring in the Borough. NO2 monitoring is undertaken at 38 locations across Bromley. At the Bromley's Air Quality Monitoring Station (AQMS), 32 locations are diffusion tubes, and 6 are Breathe London node monitors, which monitor both NO2 and PM2.5¹. PM2.5 and PM10² are also monitored at the AQMS.

The report notes that the expansion of the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone to Outer London on 29 August 2023, has not delivered any greater reduction in NO2.

Budget Monitoring

The committee was scheduled to note and endorse the 2025/26 revenue budget monitoring position for the Environment & Community Services Portfolio. The report states that the position for quarter one (end of June) for the Portfolio was a projected overall overspend of £931k. The report also states that strict budgetary control continues to be exercised to minimise the risk of compounding financial pressures in future years.

The report includes a summary of the projected outturn by service area. It identifies projected overspends in Parks and Green Spaces of £104k, and in Parking of £727k. The overspend in Parks is attributed to contractual indexation increasing by a higher percentage than the in-year inflationary uplifts. The overspend in Parking is attributed to parking fees (£139k) and parking enforcement (£995k), partially offset by permit parking (-£44k) and parking administration (-£363k). The report also identifies an overspend of £100k in Highway Services, related to the increased demand for reactive highway repairs.

Capital Programme Monitoring

The committee was scheduled to note and acknowledge the changes agreed by the Executive on 17 September 2025. A revised capital programme was considered by the Executive on 17 September 2025, following a detailed monitoring exercise carried out after the first quarter of 2025/26. The report highlights changes that were considered by the Executive in respect of the capital programme for the Environment and Community Services portfolio.

As part of the first quarter monitoring exercise, a total of £1,757k has been re-phased from 2025/26 into future financial years to reflect revised estimates of when expenditure is likely to be incurred. A review was undertaken of schemes that are now complete and/or no longer required, and this has identified £34k of underspent budget to be removed from the capital programme for the TFL Urban Realm Enhancement and Community BMX track and club at Hoblingwell Wood Recreation Grounds. The review also identified £1,494k of underspend on existing schemes: Road Safety / School Travel Plans (£114k), Pedestrian Improvements (£125k), Cycle Parking & Infrastructure / Training (£391k), Congestion / Parking / Bus Routes / EVs / AQ (£784k), Local Authority Treescapes Fund (£47k), and Kelsey Park Lake (£3k).

New schemes added to the Capital Programme include the Highways Capital Project (£11,250k) and the Keston Ponds Project (£249k).

Variations approved by Executive on 17 September 25 include Food Waste Collection (£52k), Beaverwood Depot (£100k), Scadbury Moated Manor Conservation Project (£434k), Crofton and Sparrows Wood Waterbody improvement (£27k), Local Highways Maintenance (DFT Grant) (£1,109k), Highways Structures (£138k), and Hoblingwell Playground Project (£20k).