Improving Air Quality: a Practical Legal Guide – Coin Street Centre, London – 2022 (Date TBC)

Improving Air Quality: a Practical Legal Guide

Aimed at senior local authority officers with responsibility for the environment, transport, licensing and public health, this conference aims to provide those charged with the task of improving air quality – and their lawyers – with a legal roadmap for to improve the air quality in their respective locations and meet the government’s timetable to ensure that air pollution is below legal limits.

The urgency follows ClientEarth’s series of court victories over the UK government’s failure to comply with the EU’s air quality standards. This has created – in some people’s eyes – an overly legalistic [rather than holistic] approach to improving air quality.

The government has left the bulk of the responsibility for compliance with local authorities. While local authorities have a wide range of legal powers and other levers to implement anti-pollution measures, key gaps remain. Meanwhile some solutions may have adverse unintended consequences if not carefully deployed.

To this end, the Improving Air Quality will provide delegates with a concise but comprehensive overview of the legal tools available to local authorities, best practice in wielding them, the obstacles in the way and the risks local authorities face if they get it wrong…

To book on to the conference please see below;

2021 – Date TBC

Coin Street Centre, London

Agenda

9.45: Welcome address – Stephen Cirell – Advisory Energy Consultant – Conference Chair

10:00 – 10:30: ClientEarth: Our strategy to clean up the country’s air – Katie Nield – Clean Air Lawyer 

10:30 – 11.15: Cleaning up – a legal toolkit for local authorities – Bevan Brittan (Invited)

What are the legal levers that local authorities can pull and what are the legal obstacles they face?

What legal and other powers do (and don’t) local authorities have to improve air quality in their areas? Which other public agencies need to be involved?

11:15 – 11.30: Coffee Break & Networking

11:30 – 12.15: How to set up a CAZ/LEZ – Rahul Bijani, Legal Director – BDB Pitmans 

12:15 – 12:45: Legal issues around the proposed ban on domestic solid fuels – Anita Lloyd, Director – Squire Patton Boggs

12:45 – 13:45: Lunch & Networking

13:45 – 14:15: How will the law change after Brexit? – (Invited Speaker – tbc)

Which laws will continue to apply?

How they will be challenged in the courts?

14:15 – 14:45: Taxi Licensing and Air Pollution – Philip Kolvin QC & Josef Cannon – Cornerstone Chambers

14:45 – 15:00: Coffee Break & Networking

15.00 – 15.30: Legal risks for local authorities – Simon Colvin – Weightmans

Damned if you do…what legal risks do LAs face in relation to air quality? What are the potential consequences? Does declaring a ‘climate emergency’ create ‘legitimate expectations’ and leave you open to legal challenge over other policies.

15:30 – 16:15: Panel discussion

16:15 – 16:30: Summary and closing remarks – Stephen Cirell

16:30: CLOSE

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