2016 Air Quality Progress Report for Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council In fulfillment of Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 Local Air Quality Management May 2016 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 Local Authority Terry Vincent Officer Department Public Health and Protection Council Offices, Campus East, Welwyn Address Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6AE Telephone 01707 357 934 e-mail [email protected] Report Reference WHBC/PH/2016 number Date May 2016 LAQM Progress Report 2016 1 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 Executive Summary The role of the local authority Review and Assessment process is to identify any relevant areas where it is considered that the government’s air quality objectives for relevant air pollutants will be exceeded. We have previously undertaken the earlier rounds of Review and Assessment of local air quality management and not needed to designate any part of its area as an Air Quality Management Area as none of the objectives have been exceeded where relevant public exposure is present. This report concerns the 2016 Air Quality Progress Report and has re-examined pollution sources in the area in accordance with Defra LAQM guidance (released February 2009). The data period covered is 1st January 2015 – 31st December 2015. Air quality in Welwyn Hatfield Measured air quality within the borough is currently below the set objectives at all except one of the monitored sites. The Council has decided not to undertake a detailed assessment or declare an air quality action area at this stage. We feel that we need to increase levels of monitoring in the area where the objective was breached. This can be justified by the fact that the current location where we have obtained high readings is not close to any relevant receptors. The authority is currently working in line with our district plan. The plan consists of a core strategy identifying potential development for housing outside of urban areas. This strategy proposes a number of new housing developments with a target date of 2020. In recent years we have significantly increased our level of monitoring. The new locations have been situated with relevance to the local plan but also in locations where we suspect there could be poor air quality. We have currently got 24 diffusion tube locations which is a significant increase from the 6 locations we had in 2012. We have recently secured funding for a new street located continuous air quality monitor. This unit is a BAM 1020 and has the capability to monitor PM10 or PM2.5. A considerable amount of work has been undertaken in order to secure the funding and to set up suitable power connections for the unit. The unit is due to be installed on the week commencing 25th April 2016. This is a fantastic achievement and it cements our target to continue to focus on air quality within the Borough. Actions to improve air quality We are currently still building upon our knowledge of air quality in the area. At this present time we do not have an air quality action area. This means that we do not have an action plan and are unable to suggest specific changes or implement specific changes to road traffic or developments. We would have to have supporting evidence as to why these changes are necessary. However, despite this we are conscious of current air quality and we are determined to make this a priority. We do factor in air quality as a major consideration for all new developments. LAQM Progress Report 2016 2 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 Local priorities and challenges This year our priorities remain the same as they have previously. Air quality is a very important element of public health and we are focused on this. Previous reports have shown the remarked improvements that have been made to our air quality monitoring network. We will continue to make improvements to try and protect our local community. How to get involved Air quality can be controlled by everyone. We ask that the community take time to consider whether driving is appropriate. We always encourage people to think of better ways to travel. These could be cycling, walking, care sharing. We always try and discourage the lighting of bonfires and promote greener waste disposal. The overall aim is to try and get everyone to consider our environment and to think greener. LAQM Progress Report 2016 3 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 Table of Contents 1 Local air quality management 6 1.1 Description of Local Authority Area 6 1.2 Purpose of Progress Report 6 1.3 Air Quality Objectives 7 1.4 Summary of Previous Review and Assessments 9 2 New Monitoring Data 11 2.1 Summary of Monitoring Undertaken 11 2.2 Comparison of Monitoring Results with Air Quality Objectives 17 3 New Local Developments 24 3.1 Road Traffic Sources 24 3.2 Other Transport Sources 24 3.3 Industrial Sources 24 3.4 Commercial and Domestic Sources 24 3.5 New Developments with Fugitive or Uncontrolled Sources 24 4 Local / Regional Air Quality Strategy 25 5 Planning Applications 26 6 Air Quality Planning Policies 27 7 Local Transport Plans and Strategies 28 8 Climate Change Strategies 29 9 Implementation of Action Plans 30 10 Conclusions and Proposed Actions 31 10.1 Conclusions from New Monitoring Data 31 10.2 Conclusions relating to New Local Developments 31 10.3 Other Conclusions 31 10.4 Proposed Actions 32 11 References 33 LAQM Progress Report 2016 4 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 Appendices Appendix A QA: QC Data Appendix B List of current LAPPC Permits LAQM Progress Report 2016 5 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 1 Local air quality management 1.1 Description of Local Authority Area The Borough of Welwyn Hatfield is located in southern Hertfordshire and covers the two towns of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, along with numerous smaller settlements and rural areas. Both towns, set within the London green belt, still retain their own identities. Welwyn Garden City has a famous heritage being a Garden City and designated New Town. Both towns also act as dormitories for residents who work in London. The total area covered by the Council is just over 129km2, with a population of approximately 108,300 (2008 estimate). The main employment in the area is service related, although there is some industry. Each of the towns has a railway station on the East Coast Main Line and they are close to the A1 road for access to London and the rest of the country via road. There are a few minor industrial processes that are regulated by the Council and three larger industrial processes regulated by the Environment Agency (including a waste transfer site) in the Council’s area. 1.2 Purpose of Progress Report This report fulfils the requirements of the Local Air Quality Management process as set out in Part IV of the Environment Act (1995), the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 2007 and the relevant Policy and Technical Guidance documents. The LAQM process places an obligation on all local authorities to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas, and to determine whether or not the air quality objectives are likely to be achieved. Where exceedences are considered likely, the local authority must then declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and prepare an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) setting out the measures it intends to put in place in pursuit of the objectives. 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. LAQM Progress Report 2016 6 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 1.3 Air Quality Objectives The air quality objectives applicable to LAQM in England are set out in the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 (SI 928), The Air Quality (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 3043), and are shown in Table 1.1. This table shows the objectives in units of microgrammes per cubic metre µg/m3 (milligrammes per cubic metre, mg/m3 for carbon monoxide) with the number of exceedences in each year that are permitted (where applicable). LAQM Progress Report 2016 7 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 Table Air Quality Objectives included in Regulations for the purpose of LAQM in England Air Quality Objective Date to be Pollutant Concentration Measured as achieved by Running annual 16.25 µg/m3 31.12.2003 Benzene mean 5.00 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2010 Running annual 1,3-Butadiene 2.25 µg/m3 31.12.2003 mean Running 8-hour Carbon monoxide 10 mg/m3 31.12.2003 mean 0.50 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2004 Lead 0.25 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2008 200 µg/m3 not to be exceeded more 1-hour mean 31.12.2005 Nitrogen dioxide than 18 times a year 40 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2005 50 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more Particulate Matter 24-hour mean 31.12.2004 (PM10) than 35 times a (gravimetric) year 40 µg/m3 Annual mean 31.12.2004 350 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more 1-hour mean 31.12.2004 than 24 times a year 125 µg/m3, not to Sulphur dioxide be exceeded more 24-hour mean 31.12.2004 than 3 times a year 266 µg/m3, not to be exceeded more 15-minute mean 31.12.2005 than 35 times a year LAQM Progress Report 2016 8 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 2016 1.4 Summary of Previous Review and Assessments The Council undertook previous rounds of Review and Assessment of air quality.