Local MPs and Councils meet Minister over Air Quality

[L-R] Cllr Gavin Callaghan [Leader, Basildon Council], Cllr Andrew Baggott [Leader of Conservative Group, Basildon Council], John Baron MP, Minister Rebecca Pow MP, Stephen Metcalfe MP, Cllr David Finch [Leader, Essex County Council], Andrew Cook [Director of Highways and Transportation, Essex County Council], Rory Boden [Office of Mark Francois MP] at the meeting

Minister praises progress and joint effort

John Baron MP, Stephen Metcalfe MP, Cllr David Finch, Cllr Andrew Baggott, and representatives of Mark Francois MP, Essex County Council and Basildon Borough Council today met Minister Rebecca Pow at DEFRA to discuss air quality in Upper Mayne and East Mayne. The A127 speed limit reduction is on course to improve air quality along the road, but modelling shows that small areas of East Mayne and Upper Mayne may continue to exceed limits after the reduction.

The meeting was a follow up to a meeting in January to update the Minister on progress with measures to improve the air quality in these areas without having to resort to charging in a Clean Air Zone [CAZ]– MPs and Councillors were united in their opposition to such punitive measures and the Minister was pleased with the constructive progress to date in pursuing alternative measures which if successful would make a CAZ charge unnecessary.

John, Stephen and Mark said:

“Following a series of meetings, this meeting with the Minister was again productive. All participants are working towards ensuring that, through the pursuit of other proportionate solutions, there will be no CAZ Charging. We will now be writing to local businesses to ensure a positive response regarding some of these alternative solutions including the staging of deliveries and the upgrading of transport fleets.”