Pollution control - Air Quality
Ryedale District
Council Local Air Quality Review and Assessment: Malton Air Quality
Management Area Order
Introduction
Part IV of the Environment
Act, 1995 requires all local authorities to periodically review and
assess the quality of air within their respective area. This
procedure is aimed at assessing current and future air quality with
respect to Air Quality Objectives (AQO’s) that have been set by
government.
The government has produced
policy and guidance on reviewing and assessing local air quality
and requires a phased approach for air quality review and
assessment.
Updating and
Screening Assessment (USA)
The purpose of the USA is to
assess local air quality, to identify and consider any changes that
may have occurred since the previous assessment round. The USA will
reach a view as to whether a detailed assessment is required for
one or more of the above pollutants. A USA should be
undertaken at three-yearly intervals.
Detailed
Assessment (DA)
The purpose of a DA is to
provide further information about any pollutants and specific
locations in respect of which the USA has shown that there is a
significant risk that an AQO will not be met at one or more
relevant exposure locations.
Progress Report
(PR)
These reports are intended
to maintain continuity in the LAQM process. Progress Reports
are required in all years when the authority is not completing a
USA.
Air Quality
Management Area (AQMA)
When a detailed assessment
has shown that there is a significant risk that an AQO is not being
met, or will not be met, at one or more relevant exposure
locations, local authorities are required to designate by Order one
or more AQMA’s that cover these locations.
Further Assessment
(FA)
Once the AQMA Order has been
made, a further assessment must be produced within 12 months. The
Further Assessment supplements the information provided in the
Detailed Assessment. It is intended to increase confidence in the
appropriateness of the AQMA and its geographical limits. The FA is
also intended to define the improvement in air quality and
corresponding reduction in emissions, required to satisfy the
breached AQO(‘s).
Air Quality Action
Plan
An Action Plan must be
produced within 18 months an AQMA Order being made. The purpose of
the Action Plan is to identify measures to be implemented in order
to improve air quality in the AQMA so that the AQO (’s) are
complied with.
Air Quality Review
and Assessment in Ryedale
A Detailed Assessment
completed in March 2009 concluded that, due primarily to emissions
from local road traffic, exceedance of the nitrogen dioxide
(NO2) annual mean AQO was likely to be occurring in
several areas within Malton town centre where there is relevant
exposure (i.e. at the facades of a number of residential properties
in the town).
On the basis of these
findings, and in accordance with the statutory guidance, Ryedale
District Council determined that, subject to acceptance of the
Assessment by Defra, an Order should be made to establish an Air
Quality Management Area (AQMA) covering all such locations.
Malton Air Quality
Management Area (AQMA) Order
Defra accepted the
conclusions of the Detailed Assessment and following a period of
consultation an Order was made on December 2009 designating the
Malton AQMA. The Order identifies the roads and properties
included in the AQMA.
Setting the boundaries of an
AQMA involves an element of judgement. Consideration is given
to the extent of the predicted areas of exceedance, the location of
relevant receptors, the nature and location of relevant sources and
other local factors. Ultimately this is a matter for the local
authority to decide on but all relevant exposure locations where
exceedance of the AQO is likely must be included.
The Malton AQMA Order, the
2009 Detailed Assessment Report and various subsequent Reports
produced by the Council in accordance with its Local Air Quality
Management obligations can be viewed and downloaded from this web
page. This includes the Councils Further Assessment Report which
was completed in January 2011.
The Further Assessment Report has concluded
that:
- Nitrogen dioxide levels still
exceed the AQO at a number of locations within the Malton AQMA
where there is public exposure;
- The existing geographical
limits of the AQMA are appropriate;
- Local road traffic accounts
for just over 75% of the NO2 in the AQMA;
- Approximately 40% of the NO2
arising from road traffic is due to emissions from Heavy Duty
Vehicles (HDV’s); and
- A reduction in emissions from
local road traffic of at least 8% will be necessary in order for
the NO2 AQO to be met at all public exposure locations
in the AQMA.
Malton Air Quality Action Plan 2012
2012 Air Quality Action Plan for Ryedale District Council The
Malton Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) Order was designated by
Ryedale District Council on 14 December 2009. As a result the
Council has an obligation under the Environment Act 1985 to devise
and implement measures by means of an Air Quality Action Plan in
pursuit of improved air quality in the Malton Air Quality
Management Area.
The Air Quality Action Plan presents an evaluation of the range
of air quality improvement measures that have been considered. A
number of measures have been identified for inclusion in the Action
Plan. They range from a major junction improvement scheme to reduce
the flow of traffic through the AQMA, to measures that seek to
promote less polluting forms of travel, such as school travel plans
and awareness raising. A number of other measures have been
identified for further evaluation and possible inclusion in future
revisions of the Action Plan. Certain other measures have been
rejected as inappropriate. A commitment to ongoing air quality
monitoring and periodic reviews of the measures required to attain
acceptable air quality form an important element of the Action
Plan.
Following the recommendation of the Commissioning Board of 22
September the draft Action Plan was subject to formal consultation.
The consultation was undertaken for a period of 12 weeks and the
Action Plan was amended in light of the consultees’ responses. The
Action Plan was adopted by the Commissioning Board on 26 January
2012. The Action Plan can be viewed and downloaded from this web
page.
For further information contact Health and Environment on
01653 600666 ext. 257.