The adopted Air Quality Action Plan can be downloaded from the link on the right hand side of this page.
The actions identified to help improve air quality in Bath are listed below. Some of these measures are already in progress:
- Bath Transport Package which comprises a range of measures including: expansion of existing Park & Ride sites; a new Park & Ride to the east of the City; a Bus Rapid Transit route; Real Time Information for buses and new bus priority measures. As part of the Package, the Council recently consulted on proposals to introduce vehicle access restrictions on a number of City Streets, to create an environment where pedestrians and cyclists have priority and where public transport is free to move on Bath’s historic streets.
- Cleveland Bridge area restrictions feasibility study. A trial 18t environmental weight limit has been proposed to reduce HGVs on London Road and Bathwick Street. This would apply to both direction turning movements between Bathwick Street and Beckford Road. Work will continue on the feasibility of a Low Emission Zone.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of hybrid diesel-electric double deck bus operation in the City of Bath.
- Urban Freight Transhipment. A trial scheme is in operation using the Bristol site at Avonmouth to reduce the number of large delivery vehicles entering central Bath. At the facility, the goods are consolidated for onwards dispatch in a smaller electric vehicle.
- Improved enforcement of Traffic Regulation Orders. A variable message sign and automatic number plate recognition cameras at Upper Bristol Road/Windsor Bridge Road to discourage heavy goods vehicles from using the central A4 corridor where a traffic regulation order exists.
- Public bicycle hire scheme in the city of Bath. The project is designed to encourage cycling and to improve the modal shift between the bicycle and private car, with consequential reductions in pollution, energy usage and traffic congestion. The project will also provide an alternative form of transport, namely electric bicycles, to achieve a modal shift from the private car to the bicycle in Bath with consequential reductions in pollution, energy usage and traffic congestion.
- Feasibility study and the subsequent installation of electric vehicle recharging point infrastructure. These are included in the bid for funding from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
- Develop building emission assessment spreadsheet tool for emissions of nitric oxide and other pollutants from commercial buildings and introduce it as a requirement for inclusion in Air Quality Assessments in planning applications.
- Review effectiveness of ECOStars Scheme in other authority areas and undertake a feasibility study into the introduction of an ECOStars scheme in Bath and North East Somerset and neighbouring authorities.
- Review the vehicle fleets in terms of Euro emission standards, vehicle age, particulate traps and general specification. Identify cleaner vehicles, emissions abatement technologies and related funding sources for their introduction.
- Monitor and review the bus fleet age, specification and maintenance in Bath. Identify and promote cleanest available vehicles.
- Introduce a ‘Wayfinding and Information System’ for Bath, in connection with improved bus stop waiting environments in the Southgate area; and onboard public transport information. The Bath Legible City project is essentially about revealing and presenting the City of Bath in a way that improves the experience of all the city‘s users.
- Undertake a review of available retrofit technologies and fuel additives for exhaust emissions abatement and a promote use in vehicle fleets operating in Bath.
- Support the implementation of traffic management measures for Rossiter Road and Widcombe Parade where traffic and air pollution dispersion modelling indicates that air quality will be improved.
- Launch and maintain a website providing data and promotion of less polluting modes of transport and energy use.
- Corporate Travel Plan
An informal public exhibition took place in the Guildhall on Wednesday 25 November 2009. This was attended by a number of officers, key stakeholders and members of the public. A leaflet and questionnaire was distributed to all addresses in the Air Quality Management Area. The comments received at the meeting and during the consultation period informed the Final Air Quality Action Plan.