Decision details

This report seeks approval from the Executive Director of Place to submit the final Full Business Case for the Clean Air Plan to Government as per the delegation approved by the Cooperative Executive on the 26^th October 2021:

Delegates authority to the Executive Director Place in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Executive Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport to submit to Government a Full Business Case to deliver a Category C Charging Zone as outlined in this report.

This report updates on the further development of the final Full Business Case (FBC) for the Sheffield and Rotherham Clean Air Plan (S&R CAP) taking consideration of:

• Public responses to the consultation undertaken late in 2021
• Shortest programme delivery timescales

That the Executive Director of Place:

·       Approves the revised proposals detailed within the report

·       Approves submission of the final Full Business Case to Government

·       Notes the final Full business Case is subject to approvals from Central Government; a new legal Direction will be issued with the approval of the Full Business Case.

The decision to progress with the Category C CAZ and other measures was made by the Cooperative Executive on the 26^th October 2021.

Consultation has been undertaken on the final proposals and the final Full Business Case to Government is being prepared for submission in April 2022.

Until the submission and approval of the final Full Business Case, Sheffield and Rotherham Councils remain legally Directed by Government to reach legally compliant annual average Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) levels by 2021. A revised Ministerial Direction that reflects an up-to-date timescale for compliance based on current shortest possible time delivery timescales for the scheme as set out in this report is expected once the FBC is approved.

In assessing options, the primary success factor required by Government is ensuring ‘compliant levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions within the shortest time’. The Full Business Case (FBC) appraisal process will follow HM Treasury guidance and be consistent with the approach taken at OBC.

Post Covid 19, remodelling work was undertaken to establish whether any alternative CAP approaches would be sufficient to meet the legal obligations. A CAZ C continues to be the model most suited to achieving compliance within the shortest time and this remains the requirement mandated by Government. No other form of CAZ is permissible without Ministerial consent.

A set of technical documents detailing the analytical modelling work will be submitted to Government, forming part of the Full Business Case. These documents are currently being drafted and will be submitted to the JAQU for review by their technical assurance panel prior to FBC submission.   Further detail will be published on the SCC Clean Air website after JAQU technical review process is completed.