Having reviewed the plans, policies and programmes underway that
will impact on traffic travelling along the A4 London Road,
the Air Quality Action Plan sets out specific measures to
improve air quality along London Road / Bathwick Street, and also
more general measures to improve air quality and increase public
awareness over the Bath and North East Somerset area.
Introduction to Air Quality
Air quality in Bath and North East Somerset is important because
it affects everyone who lives and works in the area. The
Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has
highlighted the significance of air quality by including it as one
of fifteen ‘headline’ indicators designed to measure quality of
life.
Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 laid the
foundation for a nationwide system of Local Air Quality
Management. This requires local authorities to review air
quality at present and in the future, and assess whether air
quality objectives are likely to be met. If objectives are not
expected to be achieved in any area, the authority will have to
designate that area an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA).
The process of review and assessment is laid out in the
National Air Quality Strategy 2000. It
consists of a three stage process. Following the stage 3
assessment against health based objectives The Council declared
an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) for nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
along the A4 London Road. As a consequence of the
designation a draft action plan has been drawn up, setting out
what will be done to improve air quality within the AQMA,
including a timetable for implementation of each action.
This leaflet summarises the draft action plan and provides a
response form on which any comments or further suggestions can
be made.
Review and Assessment of Air Quality in Bath and North East
Somerset
The review and assessment has been undertaken using both
modelling and monitoring of pollutant concentrations. Only
particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were
considered at Stage 3. All other pollutants were eliminated
at Stage 1 of the review and assessment as they were unlikely to
exceed the air quality objectives which have been set.
The results of the review and assessment showed that an area
along the London Road was predicted to exceed the air quality
objectives for nitrogen dioxide. As this area includes public
exposure an AQMA was declared. Following a consultation
process the actual extent of the area was agreed.
Subsequent further assessment showed that the highest
concentrations are at Anglo Terrace, at the Western end of the
London Road. As a result of this assessment it was
recommended that the AQMA should be widened from its original 7m
extent to 70m from the centre of the road, along London Road from
London Street to Hanover Place, and 20m from the centre of the road
from Hanover Place to the Batheaston Roundabout.
