The Port Health & Environmental Services Committee was scheduled to discuss a range of topics, including the 2024 air quality annual status report, an update from the Trading Standards team, and the 2024/25 revenue outturn. They were also scheduled to discuss non-public items including the disposal of former port health dock offices at Tilbury Docks, and the extension of waste collection, street cleansing and ancillary services contracts.

Air Quality Annual Status Report

The committee was scheduled to receive the Air Quality Annual Status Report for 2024. The report details the progress of actions contained within the City Corporation Air Quality Strategy and presents air quality monitoring data.

The City of London Corporation runs a comprehensive air quality monitoring network. In 2024, data was collected using three nitrogen dioxide (NO2) continuous monitors, three particulate PM10 monitors, two particulate PM2.5 monitors and one ozone monitor. Nitrogen dioxide was also monitored across the Square Mile using low-cost diffusion tubes at 85 additional locations.

The report notes that over the past five years there has been a levelling out in annual mean concentrations of NO2, following a significant reduction between 2019 and 2020. In 2024, 95% of the locations measured met the national standard of 40µg/m³ and 51% met the City of London's 2030 Air Quality Strategy aim of 30µg/m³. All three PM¹⁰ monitoring sites complied with the national standard for the past eight years, and in 2024, PM2.5 concentrations at Farringdon Street and The Aldgate School continued to meet the new national standard of 10µg/m³, ahead of the 2040 UK deadline.

The report also states that a new five-year Air Quality Strategy was adopted in January 2025 with the aim to go beyond the statutory obligation and continue to take action to improve air quality in pursuit of the 2021 World Health Organisation Air Quality Guidelines.

Trading Standards Team Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a report providing an update on the work of the Trading Standards Team. The team are responsible for enforcing a range of consumer protection legislation and work in partnership with many other enforcement bodies and organisations. The team aims to protect the reputation of the Square Mile, especially in relation to the issue of investment fraud.

The report notes that levels of investment fraud in the UK are of significant concern and continue to rise. The Trading Standards Manager chairs Operation Broadway, which was set up in 2014 to try and disrupt investment fraud¹.

Operation Broadway is chaired by the City Corporation's Trading Standards Manager and includes representatives from City of London Police, National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, the Financial Conduct Authority, HMRC, Companies House, National Crime Agency, the Pensions Regulator and the Insolvency Service.

Trading Standards Team Update

The report also notes that Trading Standards have developed excellent working relationships with serviced office providers in the City, including most of the iconic buildings who are targeted for their prestigious addresses.

Of particular concern to Trading Standards is the impact of investment fraud on the victims, with regular reports received where victims have lost life changing sums of money. Officers provide step by step help to victims on how they should deal with their bank in seeking redress, under the Contingent Reimbursement Model.

Alongside ongoing work on investment fraud, Trading Standards are also tackling issues related to the sale of vaping products, and are working closely with retailers in the City to ensure compliance with new legislation to ban the supply of single-use vapes, which came into force on 1 June 2025.

The report also highlights the issue of unsafe consumer products, particularly electrical goods, toys, personal protective equipment and cosmetics that are sold by some of the major online platforms who have registered addresses in the City.

Revenue Outturn 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to consider a joint report of The Chamberlain and Executive Director, Environment, comparing the revenue outturn for the services overseen by the committee in 2024/25 with the budget for the year.

The report states that the actual net expenditure for the committee's services during 2024/25 totalled (£20.291m), an overspend of (£2.605m) compared to the budget of (£17.686m).

The most significant local risk variations comprise:

• Environment, (£1.270m) overspend:
  • a planned reduction in transfers from reserves for Street Cleansing (£1.516m)
  • increases in employee and grave construction costs at the Cemetery & Crematorium, (£0.246m)
  • a reduction in income from the Cemetery & Crematorium, (£0.113m)
  • reductions in contract costs from Waste Disposal, £0.097m and Street Cleansing, £0.052m
  • an increase in grant funding and other contributions, City Environmental Health, £0.086m
  • increases in income from Street Cleansing, £0.249m, commercial waste, £0.050m and Waste Disposal, £0.040m
• City Surveyor, (£88,000) overspend:
  • increases in reactive repair works mainly at the Cemetery & Crematorium and Public Conveniences

The (£108,000) overspend on the Cyclical Works Programme is primarily in relation to changes in phasing of works, most significantly at Heathrow Animal Reception Centre.

The (£1,165,000) overspend on capital and support services is due primarily to capital charges, resulting mainly from changes in accounting requirements for leases, (£594,000) and Walbrook Wharf depot, (£618,000).

Non-Public Items

The committee was also scheduled to discuss several non-public items, including:

• The disposal of former port health dock offices at Tilbury Docks.
• The extension of waste collection, street cleansing and ancillary services contracts.
• The continuation of waste management service contract.