Decision details

The purpose of this report is to inform Members of the implications of the revised National Air Quality Plan (UK Plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations) recently published by the Department for the Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).  Additionally, this report proposes to make two Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) amendment orders, as a result of the annual mean objective for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) not being achieved at additional properties outside both the existing AQMAs, in accordance with our local air quality responsibilities. 

The UK Government is required under the Environment Act 1995 to produce a National Air Quality Plan. The Plan sets out the United Kingdom’s air quality objectives and recognises that action at national, regional and local levels may be needed, depending on the scale and nature of the air quality problem. The United Kingdom’s revised National Air Quality Plan was recently published by DEFRA. This Plan identifies 29 local authorities with persistent pollution exceedances (based on computer air pollution monitoring) that are required to undertake local action to achieve statutory NO₂ compliance within the shortest possible time.

Fareham Borough Council is highlighted as one of the Authorities that must produce a targeted local plan.  The area of road identified is from the M27 Motorway Junction 11 down to the A27 Market Quay ‘through-about’ and along the A27 to the Station roundabout.  To that end, DEFRA issued a Compliance Directive on Fareham Borough Council, along with the other identified Authorities.

This Direction requires the Authority to undertake and submit a Feasibility Study (Initial Plan) to identify the option which will deliver compliance with legal limits by 31 March 2018 at the latest.  The Authority must also submit a Final Plan by 31 December 2018 which must identify the preferred option to deliver compliance.

The Government is funding this work.

A further report detailing the initial Plan for approval will be considered by the Executive on 5 March 2018, with a further report detailing the Final Plan being reported to the Executive in time for the December 2018 deadline.

In addition, local authorities have statutory duties for Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) under the Environment Act 1995. They are required to carry out regular reviews and assessments of air quality in their areas, against the national air quality objectives. Where it is found that these objectives are unlikely to be met, local authorities must designate AQMAs and prepare and implement Air Quality Action Plans (AQAP) to tackle the air pollution. An AQMA was declared for an area of the Gosport Road Fareham in 2006 (see Appendix A) and for Portland Street Fareham in 2007 (see Appendix B). Both were declared for exceedances of the annual mean objective for NO₂ due to traffic emissions. The 2016 air quality Annual Status Report (ASR) for the Council has been approved by DEFRA and concludes that the Council needs to extend both existing AQMAs for NO₂ due to traffic emissions in the area of Gosport Road, Fareham and Portland Street, Fareham.    

Over the next year as the targeted plan to meet the Compliance Directive is developed, it will be integrated with the Authority’s existing local Air Quality Action Plan.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees:

(a)   to note the implications for Fareham of the recently published National Air Quality Action Plan;

(b)   the member led steering group on air quality be re-established together with a technical Officer group; and

(c)   the following Air Quality Management Areas; Gosport Road Fareham and Portland Street Fareham be extended as detailed in Appendices C and D to the report and that they are declared operational on 1 November 2017 with the signing of the AQMA amendment orders attached as Appendices E and F to the report.