Proposed by Councillor Harris

Liberal Democrat member motion

This Council:

Recognises the urgent need to reduce levels of vehicle emissions in Oxford's most polluted streets, 

and notes that these levels will not be significantly impacted by plans for a Zero Emission Zone until 2025 at the earliest,  

and resolves to seek to reduce vehicle emissions urgently in Oxford's most polluted streets by asking the Chief Executive to write to Oxfordshire County Council inviting them to:

1.       upgrade the existing bus Low Emission Zone so to require all buses within the Zone to have Euro-6 compliant engines; and

2.       apply that new stricter Low Emission Zone to heavy goods vehicles and to coaches as well as to buses.

Councillor Harris, seconded by Councillor Landell Mills, proposed the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

Councillor Hayes, seconded by Councillor Taylor, proposed an amendment to the submitted motion as set out in the agenda and briefing note.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amendment was declared carried.

After debate and on being put to the vote, the amended motion was agreed.

Council resolved to adopt the following motion, as amended:

This Council:

•   Recognises that we all have a right to breathe clean air. However, across the UK illegal and here in Oxford harmful levels of air pollution are damaging people’s health and their quality of life and cutting lives short;

•   Recognises the urgent need to reduce levels of vehicle emissions in Oxford's most polluted streets and build on the considerable success of Oxford City Council in reducing air pollution so far;

•   and notes that local authorities are hitting the limits of what they can achieve with the powers and funding they have from Government and calls for continued advocacy to Government—with existing allies such as Greenpeace UK, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland), UK100, and other councils—to seek more powers and funding to accelerate the journey to zero;

•   notes that considerable work has been undertaken since the public consultation last year to fully understand the impact of the journey to zero and develop proposals which account for the feedback from directly impacted stakeholders and groups. Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone has to be practical; and

resolves to seek to reduce vehicle emissions urgently in Oxford's most polluted streets by asking Oxford City Council and the highways authority, Oxfordshire County Council, to continue to work together in partnership on plans to introduce a Zero Emission Zone in Oxford from 2020, considering all options available, the details of which will be announced in early 2019.