Issue - meetings

1. To agree in principle with the approach of a boroughwide prohibition of the burning of domestic and garden waste within the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.

2. To note the resource requirements of undertaking this work and make the recommendation above understanding that further baseline evidence gathering will be required to produce a full proposal. It is expected enforcement of any prohibition would be made through the means of provision and adoption of a new local byelaw under S.235 of the Local Government Act 1972.

3. To delegate responsibility to the Executive Director for Place for decision-making and defining the parameters of the boroughwide prohibition of the burning of domestic and garden waste in consultation with Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Ecology, including the delivery programme, consultation, and potential eventual adoption of the byelaw.

The Leader, Councillor Stephen Cowan, stated that this was the first council in England to agree in principle with the approach of a boroughwide prohibition of the burning of domestic and garden waste.

Councillor Wesley Harcourt, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Ecology, stated that the aim of the potential boroughwide prohibition of the burning of domestic and garden waste was to reduce air pollution in the borough. Around 14% of the borough’s particulate emissions for PM_2.5 could be attributed to domestic wood burning. This prohibition excluded barbeques and domestic fire-pits. It would also exclude any indoor wood burning.

To move forward a new local Byelaw would be made under Section 235 of Local Government Act 1972. This report outlined the implementation plan of any potential new Local Byelaw for this purpose.

AGREED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE CABINET MEMBERS:

1. To agree in principle with the approach of a boroughwide prohibition of the burning of domestic and garden waste within the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.

2. To note the resource requirements of undertaking this work and make the recommendation above understanding that further baseline evidence gathering will be required to produce a full proposal. It is expected enforcement of any prohibition would be made through the means of provision and adoption of a new local byelaw under S.235 of the Local Government Act 1972.

3. To delegate responsibility to the Executive Director for Place for decision-making and defining the parameters of the boroughwide prohibition of the burning of domestic and garden waste in consultation with Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Ecology, including the delivery programme, consultation, and potential eventual adoption of the byelaw.