Agenda item

In accordance with Minute No. 67 of the Panel held on 28^th January, 2010, Lewis Coates, Community Protection Manager, presented the above update.

Section 83 of the Environment Act required a local authority, for any area where air quality standards were not being met, to issue an Order designating it an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA).  It was proposed that the area covered by the existing M1 AQMA be extended to include areas of Blackburn that were in proximity to the M1.

Although air quality was cleaner than at any time since the industrial revolution, air pollution was not declining as quickly as previously expected.  The proposed extension of the M1 would inevitably have a negative effect upon air quality in Rotherham. 

The Council’s Community Protection Unit had been consulted by the Highways Agency regarding the proposal to widen the M1 motorway between junctions 35 and 32 through Rotherham.  The proposal was to increase highway capacity as a managed motorway to 4 lanes at peak times with no extra land taken.  This would result in vehicles being closer to the residential properties of Blackburn, Meadowbank and Brinsworth.  Mitigation measures could include variable speed limits.  The impact on air quality was being assessed by consultants on behalf of the Highways Agency as part of their Environmental Assessment.

A Detailed Assessment of the air quality in Blackburn close to the M1, adjacent to the M1 AQMA was submitted to DEFRA in July, 2009.  It was unlikely that areas of Blackburn where residents were exposed to levels of Nitrogen Dioxide above the Air Quality Objective Levels, would meet the Air Quality Objectives.  Consequently, the Council was statutorily obliged to declare an AQMA.

It was proposed that the AQMA should be extended to include:-

“From the boundary of the existing Air Quality Management Area which follows the line of Droppingwell Road follow Baring Road to the junction with Barber Wood Road, due north from Barber Wood Road to the line of the dismantled railway line, follow the route of the dismantled railway line to the north west to the edge of the M1 motorway.  From there, follow the edge of the M1 motorway due south east to New Droppingwell Road”

It was also  noted that a Detailed Assessment of Air Quality for the Parkgate area near to the A633 had been completed in April, 2009, and accepted in full by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.  A Detailed Assessment for the pollutant fine particulates (24- hour PM₁₀) in the area of St. Ann’s alongside the A630 was due for submission to DEFRA in April, 2010.

Discussion ensued on the report with the following issues highlighted;-

-              The Government Guidance that by 2020 PM2.5 would have to be measured.  Work had started on plans to address this

-              The 4 local authorities, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport, Highways Agency and Primary Care Trust all worked together.  An example of joint working was the “Care for Air” initiative

-              The transport corridor at Dalton was not causing any concern for action at present

-              The main contributory factor to the problem at Parkgate was public transport

-              In the last 2 years there had been a decline in the level of pollutants but the M1 corridors relied heavily on National initiatives

-              The traffic lights being used on the M1 at the bottom of the slip road reduced the speed of traffic and the amount going onto the highway at any 1 time.

-              There were no figures available as yet as to whether the Government Car Scrappage Scheme had made a difference

-              The Unit had carried out a lot of work on the Waverley proposals.  A meeting had taken place with the developer to discuss measures to be put in place to measure air quality which would be at the expense of the developer.  The process proposed by the developer had been factored into the Plan for the monitoring around the site throughout the lifetime of the development

Resolved:-   That the report be noted.