Colleagues in other city sectors and project leaders want
to make plans without forgetting important issues. When the plan is finished
they don’t want their plan to be destroyed by somebody (a colleague, alderman,
councillor or citizen) saying it is impossible or important parts are missing.
In Utrecht in the
past a few plans were blocked by other authorities after warning the
responsible people by municipal environmental officers. Nothing works better
than burning your fingers.
In case nobody notices the gap in the plan and it is
realised then it will be very expensive to repair the situation in the future.
So forgetting an important issue has always unwanted effects.
In all notes environmental officers write that air
pollution calculations are needed in plans for streets with more traffic than
4500 motor vehicles per 24 hours. Sixteen years ago Utrecht
determined this number. This number could have been changed every year, but it
is more effective to use one recognisable number. A lot of officers have seen
this number several times. To new colleagues and other parties they will
confirm that this is usual.
In the starting note or the approach plan the relation
with air quality has to be clear. In consultation with the air quality officer
the capacity (and budget) for advising about air quality should be determined.
It is important to have some idea if a broad or a more detailed advice is
needed.
Because of their knowledge of the city the advice by
environmental officers are related to other developments, they are cheaper than
advising companies and their service is better.
You can make an official rule for this procedure, specific
for air pollution, for the environment or in general (integral advising). Still
it must be more than a rule: the advice must give a surplus value to the
plan.
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