South Oxfordshire District Council April 2014 2014 Air Quality Progress Report for South Oxfordshire District Council In fulfillment of Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 Local Air Quality Management Produced in April 2014 Written by Claire Spendley Progress Report i April 2014 South Oxfordshire District Council Local Claire Spendley Authority Air Quality Officer Officer Department Environmental Protection Address South Oxfordshire District Council Benson Lane Crowmarsh Gifford WALLINGFORD Oxon OX10 8NL Telephone 01491 823223 e-mail [email protected]. uk Report SODC PR 2014 Reference number Date 30/04/14 ii Progress Report South Oxfordshire District Council April 2014 Executive Summary The report has highlighted that there are no major changes in emissions from either the transport infrastructure sectors within the South Oxford District. In the industrial sector we have seen the decommissioning of the coal burning side of Didcot power station, with the gas side still operational. This has not shown any notable changes in the background or general NO2 levels within Didcot. The general NO2 trend across the District highlights a small general decrease in NO2 levels, with fewer sites exceeding the national annual objective levels than seen in previous years. These sites are all either within the existing AQMA’s or in areas without relevant exposure aside from one. The new area of exceedence highlighted is within Thame, and is an isolated monitoring point in the first year of monitoring. The proposal therefore was to increase monitoring around this area and to continue to monitor for a further year in order to gain a more accurate assessment of the potential air quality issues in this location. A Defra Grant application was gratefully received in 2013 to be used in the creation of a low emissions strategy for South Oxfordshire alongside feasibility studies for low emission zones within the Districts AQMA's. This project is currently underway and due to report this year, it is in line with the new action plan and will serve to inform on measures to improve the air quality both generally across the District and specifically within the AQMA’s. A new District Air Quality Action Plan has undergone public consultation and subject to DEFRA approval is to be adopted this year which will update the Henley AQAP and incorporate those of Wallingford and Watlington AQMA's also allowing room to incorporate any potential future AQMA's. No further new actions have been identified as a result of this report. Progress Report ii April 2014 South Oxfordshire District Council Table of contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 6 1.1 Description of Local Authority Area ...............................................................6 1.2 Purpose of Progress Report..........................................................................7 1.3 Air Quality Objectives....................................................................................7 1.4 Summary of Previous Review and Assessments ..........................................9 2 New Monitoring Data ....................................................................... 16 2.1 Summary of Monitoring Undertaken............................................................16 2.1.1 Automatic Monitoring Sites .....................................................................................................16 2.1.2 Non-Automatic Monitoring.......................................................................................................17 Diffusion Tube Location Maps..........................................................................25 2.2 Comparison of Monitoring Results with Air Quality ...................................27 Objectives ...........................................................................................27 2.2.1 Nitrogen Dioxide......................................................................................................................27 2.2.2 Summary of Compliance with AQS Objectives.......................................................................37 3 New Local Developments ................................................................ 38 3.1 Road Traffic Sources ..................................................................................38 3.2 Other Transport Sources.............................................................................38 3.3 Industrial Sources .......................................................................................38 3.4 Commercial and Domestic Sources ............................................................38 3.5 New Developments with Fugitive or Uncontrolled Sources.........................38 4 Planning Applications...................................................................... 39 5 Air Quality Planning Policies........................................................... 40 6 Local Transport Plans and Strategies ............................................ 41 7 Climate Change Strategies.............................................................. 42 8 Implementation of Action Plans...................................................... 43 9 Conclusions and Proposed Actions............................................... 66 9.1 Conclusions from New Monitoring Data ......................................................66 9.2 Proposed Actions .......................................................................................67 10 References...................................................................................... 69 i Progress Report April 2014 South Oxfordshire District Council Appendices Appendix 1 Diffusion Tube QA/QC Information Progress Report 5 April 2014 South Oxfordshire District Council 1 Introduction 1.1 Description of Local Authority Area South Oxfordshire is a relatively large rural district located to the south east of Oxford city. The district is made up of four main market towns namely Thame, Didcot, Wallingford and Henley-on-Thames and a number of smaller towns and villages. A small section of the M40 motorway crosses the district in the north and a handful of A roads link the major towns. There are very few industrial sources within in the District although Didcot power station is situated in the neighbouring Vale of White Horse District to the west of Didcot. Figure 1.1 South Oxfordshire District 6 Progress Report April 2014 South Oxfordshire District Council 1.2 Purpose of Progress Report Progress Reports are required in the intervening years between the three-yearly Updating and Screening Assessment reports. Their purpose is to maintain continuity in the Local Air Quality Management process. They are not intended to be as detailed as Updating and Screening Assessment Reports, or to require as much effort. However, if the Progress Report identifies the risk of exceedence of an Air Quality Objective, the Local Authority (LA) should undertake a Detailed Assessment immediately, and not wait until the next round of Review and Assessment. 1.3 Air Quality Objectives The air quality objectives applicable to Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) in England are set out in the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 (SI 928), and the Air Quality (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 3043). They are shown in Table 1.1. This table shows the objectives in units of microgrammes per cubic metre µg/m3 (for carbon monoxide the units used are milligrammes per cubic metre, mg/m3). Table 1.1 includes the number of permitted exceedences in any given year (where applicable). Progress Report 7 April 2014 South Oxfordshire District Council Table 1.1 Air Quality Objectives included in Regulations for the purpose of Local Air Quality Management in England. Pollutant Date to be Concentration Measured as achieved by Benzene 16.25 µg/m3 Running annual 31.12.2003 mean 5.00 µg/m3 Running annual 31.12.2010 mean 1,3-Butadiene 2.25 µg/m3 Running annual 31.12.2003 mean Carbon monoxide 10.0 mg/m3 Running 8-hour 31.12.2003 mean Lead 0.5 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2004 0.25 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2008 Nitrogen dioxide 200 µg/m3 not to be 1-hour mean 31.12.2005 exceeded more than 18 times a year 40 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2005 3 Particles (PM10) 50 µg/m , not to be 24-hour mean 31.12.2004 (gravimetric) exceeded more than 35 times a year 40 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2004 Sulphur dioxide 350 µg/m3, not to be 1-hour mean 31.12.2004 exceeded more than 24 times a year 125 µg/m3, not to be 24-hour mean 31.12.2004 exceeded more than 3 times a year 266 µg/m3, not to be 15-minute mean 31.12.2005 exceeded more than 35 times a year 8 Progress Report April 2014 South Oxfordshire District Council 1.4 Summary of Previous Review and Assessments Table 1.4 below lists the previous completed stages of LAQM completed, the relevant dates and gives a brief description of the conclusions and recommendations from each report. Figures 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7 below show the areas covered by the current AQMA declarations. Table 1.4 Previous completed stages of LAQM Report Date Main Conclusions Further assessment was required for CO, SO2, PM10 and NO2 – focussing on M40 / A40 corridor and the towns of Didcot and Henley-on-Thames. Stage 1 Also further assessment was required for SO emissions from Didcot A 1998 2 Assessment power station and NOX / NO2 emissions from gas-fired Didcot B power station. For CO, PM10 and NO2, road traffic was identified as the major emission source. DMRB assessment showed that exceedences were likely at a number of properties