Clean air is essential to a good quality of life. Poor air quality can have a significant effect on people’s health, particularly those with heart and/or respiratory conditions.
Air pollutants can arise from a variety of sources, including transport and industry. The main source of air pollution in South Gloucestershire is road traffic.
We have a legal duty to manage air quality in South Gloucestershire. We monitor air quality at a large number of locations across the area and produce technical reports based on the data that are submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and published on our website. If we identify an area where levels of pollution exceed national targets, we have to declare an 'Air Quality Management Area' (AQMA) and produce an action plan of how we could improve the air quality in that area.
Air quality monitoring in three locations found levels of nitrogen dioxide that exceeded the Government target and they were declared air quality management areas in 2010:
- Staple Hill – at the Broad Street (A4175), High Street (B4465), Victoria Street and Soundwell Road (A4017) crossroads
- Kingswood – along Regent Street (A420)
- Cribbs Causeway – at the M5 Roundabout (Junction 17)
Air Quality Consultation - Have your say
Following the declaration of the air quality management areas, we have carried out a further assessment of air quality in these areas. As a result, we are proposing an extension of the air quality management areas in Staple Hill and Kingswood, and we have produced a draft action plan of how we could improve air quality in these areas.
Our further assessment at Cribbs Causeway has revealed that levels of nitrogen dioxide were in fact below the Government target in 2010. We will continue monitoring and review the 2011 results. If these results also confirm the air quality management area is no longer required, we propose to revoke the AQMA in 2012. It is proposed to put further work on the action plan for this area on hold until the monitoring confirms whether this is required. We want to hear your views.
Please choose one of the following ways of telling us what you think:
1. Choose the area you’re interested in under ‘Have your say’ on the right hand side of this page, read the consultation information and email us your comments
For Kingswood and Staple Hill:
2. Pick up a consultation leaflet at your local library or One-Stop-Shop and return it to us free of charge
3. Visit one of our exhibitions and discuss your views with one of our officers
Exhibitions
Staple Hill library – Tuesday 13 September – 3pm to 6.30pm
Kingswood library – Wednesday 14 September – 3pm to 6.30pm
Kingswood library – Wednesday 12 October – 3pm to 6.30pm
Staple Hill library – Tuesday 18 October – 3pm to 6.30pm
Closing date for comments is Wednesday 2 November 2011.