Swale Borough Council Draft Air Quality Action Plan - Focus Group Workshops

People are being asked for their views on Swale Borough Council’s plans to improve air quality across the borough by 2022.

Under the provisions of the Environment Act 1995, each local authority is obliged to review and assess the air quality within its area. The aim of this review and assessment process is to establish whether or not the Statutory Air Quality objectives for the 7 named pollutants are likely to be exceeded.

The 7 pollutants are as follows:

• Benzene

• 1,3 - butadiene

• Carbon monoxide (CO)

• Lead

• Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

• Particles (PM10)

• Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)

Swale Borough Council have considered all 7 pollutants and by a process of elimination identified pollutants for which there may be a risk of exceedance.

To help tackle air pollution in the borough, a consultation on the council’s draft Air Quality Action Plan is running to help get views from residents, parish and town councils and community groups.

The draft plans were put together following extensive research and monitoring of air quality, including latest traffic modelling to account for developments currently planned across the borough.

Swale currently has 5 air quality management areas (AQMAs) - East Street, St Pauls, Newington, Teynham and Ospringe - where levels of nitrogen dioxide are above the annual mean objective of 40ug/m3.

The plans contain 12 measures to help the council focus resources to deliver improvements in air quality - 7 borough-wide strategic measures, and 5 local measures focussed within each AQMA.

The latest modelling predicts all except East Street and Ospringe will be compliant by 2022, but the council is proposing taking action that will benefit the whole borough.

Proposals include:

• Reducing emissions from HGV’s
• Reducing the volume of HGV's using the A2, especially through East Street and Ospringe
• Encouraging smoother traffic flows through the AQMAs
• Developing policies to encourage lower emission developments
• Encouraging alternatives to car use

To deliver these, the council is proposing a new clean air zone/corridor along the A2 and revising planning guidance on air quality.

Focus group workshops

If you would like to respond to the draft Air Quality Action Plan consultation, but have questions or are not sure how to take part, attending a focus group workshop may help.

Swale Borough Council is holding 3 workshops in January 2019 where you will be able to get advice and ask questions ahead of filling out the consultation. The workshops will be held in Sittingbourne, Faversham and Newington at:

Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne - 7:00pm Tuesday 8th January 2019.

Guildhall, Market Place, Faversham - 7:00pm Thursday 10th January 2019.

Village Hall, High Street, Newington - 7:00pm Thursday 17th January 2019.

To find out more about the consultation, visit >> www.swale.gov.uk/swale-aqap-consultation

The consultation is running until Tuesday 29th January 2019 and can be completed at >> www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/AQAPSwale2018

For further information on air quality in the borough >> www.swale.gov.uk/air-quality

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