Help! I need an action plan! Mike Holland, EMRC
[email protected] Val Beale, London Borough of Hillingdon
[email protected] Don’t worry… • Significant air quality problems have been dealt with in the past very successfully • Guidance is available • Many action plans available • External assistance available if needed Your progress so far • Screened your area for exceedance of air quality objectives • Detected exceedances of the objectives • Declared one or more AQMAs (with agreement of Councillors) Step 1: Investigate available guidance • Action plan help desk – http://www.casellastanger.com/actionplan_helpdesk/resources.asp •NSCA – http://nscaorguk.site.securepod.com/pages/topics_and_issues/air_quality_guidance.cfm • [CIEH training] • Action plans from neighbouring LAs • Action plans from LAs in similar situations Decide how you want to proceed • Develop the plan in-house? • Bring in outside experts? Step 2: Talk to Councillors • Councillors to agree mechanism for development and appraisal of the plan • Also, agree resourcing for development of the plan • Councillors may have ideas on specific measures, consultation, stakeholders, etc. Hillingdon example • Council referred plan to the ‘Overview and Scrutiny Panel’ – Fear of appearing to be anti-car – Heathrow problem • Used outside consultants to assist LA officers develop the action plan – EMRC – AEA Technology Step 3: Source apportionment • Key to an effective and efficient plan • Tells you where to focus action • Shows stakeholders the rationale for plan development Source