HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
AGENDA 21 PANEL ITEM 6
30 OCTOBER 1996
AIR QUALITY MONITORING IN WINCHESTER
REPORT OF THE COUNTY SURVEYOR
1. Summary
1.1 The impact of transport on air quality has become a major
issue both at national and local levels. Improving air
quality is now one of the Government's key environmental
objectives, and new legislation has been put in place to
address the issue of air quality management (Part IV of the
Environment Act 1995). In order to manage and control air
pollution it is important to have a greater and better
understanding of the impact of traffic on air quality. The
installation of air quality monitoring equipment in
Winchester, as part of the Winchester Movement and Access
Plan (WMAP), provides a valuable contribution to local air
quality management in Hampshire. The Planning and
Transportation Committee considered the development of air
quality monitoring in Winchester and how the results could be
best used when it met on 20 May 1996 and resolved that this
report be submitted for consideration by the Agenda 21 Panel.
2. Background
2.1 The need to undertake air quality monitoring has been
influenced by two important developments. Firstly, the
"package approach" to funding integrated transportation
strategies requires local authorities to monitor the success
of their transport policies and strategies before further
funding is forthcoming. The effect on air quality is an
important indicator of success and monitoring its changes is
therefore a legitimate function. Secondly, Part IV of the
Environment Act 1995, which comes into force on 1 April 1997,
gives local authorities new duties to conduct regular reviews
of air quality in their areas. Where this does not meet
proposed standards or objectives, authorities will need to
declare air quality management areas and prepare remedial
action plans. Hampshire has already been chosen by the
Government to take part in the first implementation phase and
joint preparations with district councils are now under way.
The monitoring of air quality in Winchester will provide a
helpful input into the wider strategy being prepared for
Hampshire.
3. Previous Studies
3.1 In January 1994 pilot air quality monitoring surveys were
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undertaken in both Winchester and Portsmouth. The surveys
were carried out over a 10 week period and examined the
levels of three pollutants emitted by fossil-fuelled
vehicles. Monitoring took place to ascertain the daily
concentrations of Sulphur Dioxide and air borne particulates
(smoke), together with the weekly concentrations of Oxides of
Nitrogen. Although there are other pollutants associated
with traffic, the relatively high cost of monitoring
equipment at that time prohibited a longer and more
comprehensive survey. Other surveys of air quality have also
been undertaken in Southampton as part of the ROMANSE
project.
3.2 The aim of the original exercise was to gain a better
appreciation of existing air quality standards and use this
as a benchmark for the transportation strategies. The
information gained would also be useful in guiding transport
policy development to help encourage other more
environmentally acceptable forms of transport, such as
cycling, walking and public transport. The results of the
survey indicated that the levels of the three pollutants
monitored did not exceed European guidelines and limits
during the course of the 10 week period. However, it is
important that air quality continues to be monitored to help
ensure that levels do not creep toward the designated
thresholds through increased use of the private car, and also
so that information collated may be used as one of the
measures of success of the county's transportation policies.
4. Air Quality Monitoring in Winchester
4.1 The monitoring equipment installed in Winchester recently has
been jointly funded by the County Council and Winchester City
Council as part of WMAP. Two monitoring stations have been
located to measure air quality at a heavily trafficked road
in the city centre (St George's Street) and the background
levels away from the road network (Friarsgate area). The
equipment provides real-time information on the level of air
quality. This information is relayed to two public display
systems at the County Council's and City Council's
information centres. At the County Council information
centre the display system includes an LED unit which provides
up to the minute information on air quality which can be
readily observed by passers-by as well as motorists in the
High Street. Information is also relayed directly to the
County Surveyor's Department and the City Council's
Environmental Health Department to allow detailed technical
analysis to be undertaken.
4.2 The use of LED display units helps make the general public
more aware of the ambient air quality levels in Winchester
which could in turn encourage more sensible decisions
regarding travel choice. Continuous accurate information on
air quality will be a constant reminder to the public of the
serious transport issues that need to be addressed. In
addition, the detailed results will be used to measure the
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success of the WMAP strategy and be submitted to the
Department of Transport as part of the justification for
future package bid submissions for funding.
5. Next Steps
5.1 Air quality monitoring in Winchester is one of the important
first steps in measuring the effectiveness of Hampshire's
transportation policies. However, there are up to 10
integrated strategies proposed over the next 15 years as part
of the County Structure Plan Review. There will be an
ongoing need to extend this monitoring capability to other
strategy areas. Funding of such facilities will be a key
issue and it remains to be seen to what extent Government
will support financially the legislation that has been put in
place. Winchester's air quality monitoring could be
influential in determining the way forward for other strategy
areas but it is too early to obtain any meaningful results at
this stage. Therefore, it is recommended that a further
report on the standard of air quality in Winchester be
submitted to this Panel when data becomes available to allow
a comprehensive report to be submitted.
RECOMMENDATION
That the work on air quality monitoring in Winchester be noted and
that a further detailed evaluation of the results be reported to this
Panel when more data becomes available.
3755/AC
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