Wiltshire Local Plan Wiltshire Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Appendix B February 2019 Appendix B. Baseline Information 1 Air Quality 1.1 Baseline Information 1.1.1 The collection of baseline information ensures that the sustainability appraisal process is based on a sound evidence base and provides the basis for predicting and monitoring any environmental or sustainability effects that may be identified during the sustainability appraisal stages. It is made clear in the sustainability appraisal guidance that a practical approach to the collection of baseline information is essential as there are opportunities to update the sustainability appraisal work in the future. The planning authority is encouraged to use existing data sources rather than to undertake original research. 1.2 Air Pollution 1.2.1 Air pollution can have a serious effect on people’s health. Exposure to air pollution can have a long- term effect on health, associated in particular with premature mortality due to cardiopulmonary (heart and lung) effects. Air pollution also has negative impacts on our environment, both in terms of direct effects of pollutants on vegetation, and indirectly through effects on the acid and nutrient status of soils and waters. Table 1.1 - Estimated Background Air Pollution Data Indicator Year Kennet North Wilts Salisbury West Wilts Wilts 2004 9.84 13.10 9.55 11.24 10.93 NOX 2005 9.57 12.62 9.24 10.98 10.60 2006 7.87 10.12 7.65 9.09 8.68 2004 7.72 10.32 7.49 8.84 8.59 NO2 2005 7.50 9.99 7.24 8.64 8.34 2006 6.17 7.96 6.00 7.13 6.81 2004 17.38 17.83 17.02 17.63 17.46 PM10 2005 17.19 17.65 16.83 17.50 17.29 2006 15.88 16.31 15.56 16.22 15.99 2004 0.18 0.23 0.16 0.24 0.20 Benzene 2005 0.16 0.21 0.15 0.22 0.19 2006 0.13 0.17 0.12 0.17 0.15 1,3-butadine* 2001 0.08 0.11 0.07 0.10 0.09 1 Sustainability Appraisal/ Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report Appendix B Indicator Year Kennet North Wilts Salisbury West Wilts Wilts 2003 0.07 0.09 0.06 0.09 0.08 SO2 2006 2.18 2.10 2.08 3.17 2.38 CO2 2006 0.20 0.22 0.19 0.21 0.21 Source: Environment Agency, individual local authorities 1.2.2 Air pollution has been improving year on year in Wiltshire across all of the indicators. This data is only available at local levels and comparisons are difficult. With year on year improvements and the rural nature of Wiltshire it can be assumed that performance in these indicators is good. 1.2.3 There are no automatic air monitoring sites in Wiltshire, the nearest being in Bristol and Bournemouth. These sites report on the number of days air quality is poor comparing both rural and urban areas. The figures for the south west region are illustrated below. The data suggests that air pollution is occurring more frequently in the rural areas compared to the urban areas of the south west. Table 1.2 - Automatic Air Quality Sites: Number of days when Air Pollution was reported as Moderate or Higher in the South West Rural Average 2000 Rural Average 2005 Urban Average 2000 Urban Average 2005 27 days 40 days 21 days 22 days Source: Environment Agency 1.2.4 The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (Defra, 2007) states that air quality in the UK is better in overall terms than at any time since the industrial revolution. However serious adverse effects can still arise and there are significant benefits to be gained from improving air quality further. Recent research has shown that some pollutants are more dangerous than previously thought and pollutants from sources such as cars, ships and industrial plants lead to levels of pollution which are still having a marked effect on our health and natural environment. 1.3 Air Quality Management Areas in Wiltshire 1.3.1 Air quality monitoring is undertaken across Wiltshire for a number of pollutants, but in the main for nitrogen dioxide. Where exceedences of the air quality objectives are identified the Council is legally obliged to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) for each affected area. Prior to Wiltshire Council being formed, West Wiltshire District Council declared two air quality management areas following consultation with the general public and then approval by West Wiltshire District Council Cabinet. These were created on the 26 November 2001. The AQMAs were declared due to exceedences in nitrogen dioxide. Salisbury District Council also had the need to declare three AQMAs due to exceedences in nitrogen dioxide. More recently an AQMA was declared in Calne in February 2013. 1.3.2 There are currently eight Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) in Wiltshire which have been declared in respect of the annual mean objective for nitrogen dioxide as follows: Westbury - the AQMA covers part of Haynes Road and Warminster Road Bradford-on-Avon - the AQMA covers Market Street, Silver Street, Masons Lane and part of St Margaret’s Street. The AQMA has also been declared in respect of the annual mean objectives for fine particulates Salisbury - Salisbury District Council has also had to declare AQMAs and currently there are 3 AQMAs declared. The AQMAs cover the whole city centre, the A30 London Road between St Mark’s roundabout and the railway allotments and Wilton Road between St Paul’s roundabout and Skew Bridge which is part of the A36 trunk road and falls within the control of the Highways England. Devizes – Shanes Castle Marlborough – Herd Street and Barn Street 2 Sustainability Appraisal/ Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report Appendix B Calne - within Curzon Street (The Square) & New Road Figure 1.1 - Map of AQMAs in Wiltshire 1.4 The Role of Local Authorities 1.4.1 Local authorities have an important role to play in helping deliver the national strategy’s air quality objectives and the mandatory European air quality limit values. Action taken at the local level can be an effective way of tackling localised air quality problems, leading to an overall improvement of air quality across the UK. 1.4.2 The Environment Act 1995 introduced the system of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM). Since then, local authorities have had to periodically review and assess the current, and likely future, air quality in their areas against national air quality objectives for seven air pollutants. Where any objective is unlikely to be met by the relevant deadline, local authorities must designate those areas as air quality management areas (AQMAs) and take action, along with others, to work towards meeting the objectives. 1.4.3 A brief review of the district council’s most recent LAQM progress reports and assessments is given below: 1.5 2017 Air Quality Annual Status Report for Wiltshire 1.5.1 The air quality in Wiltshire is predominantly very good with the majority of the county having clean unpolluted air. However there are a small number of locations where the combination of traffic volume, road layout and topography has resulted in pollutants being trapped allowing concentrations 3 Sustainability Appraisal/ Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report Appendix B to increase to unacceptable levels. 1.5.2 There are two pollutants included within the Local Air Quality Management regime that are the cause of concern in Wiltshire; nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM10). 1.5.3 In general the trend has been toward improving air quality in the county of Wiltshire, however the picture for 2016 is mixed with some locations having shown a slight deterioration. 1.5.4 The 2017 Annual Status Report has highlighted a potential exceedance of the air quality objective for annual mean levels of nitrogen dioxide at a site at the northern end of Royal Wootton Bassett. It is the intention of the council to thoroughly investigate the levels of NO2 in this area during 2017/8 and to report back to the local area board as soon as practicable as to whether it will be necessary to declare an Air Quality Management Area. 1.5.5 Report findings established that, with regards to Nitrogen Dioxide concentrations, the general 5 year trend for the Salisbury Automatic Monitoring located at Exeter Street (AM1) is down although the result for 2013 was higher than 2012. The general 5 year trend for the Automatic Monitoring located in St Margarets Street; Bradford on Avon (AM2) is slightly down. No trend data has been reported for the Calne Automatic Monitoring Station located on Sidmouth Street as it has only been in place for a year and Sidmouth Street, Devizes (AM3) is showing a decrease in NO2 over the two years monitoring has been undertaken. 1.5.6 The diffusion tube monitoring results for 2016 confirmed that the AQMAs already declared within Wiltshire are all still valid with a number of exceedences at monitoring sites located within existing AQMAs. No monitoring has indicated that any of the existing Wiltshire AQMAs (Salisbury; Bradford on Avon; Devizes; Marlborough; Calne; Westbury) need to be revoked. 1.5.7 No AQMA is currently in place in Chippenham or Trowbridge. 1.5.8 Wiltshire Council does not undertake any Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) or Benzene monitoring. Table 1.3 - Air Quality Management Areas Declared in Wiltshire Kennet North Wilts Salisbury West Wilts Wilts Areas declared 0 3 3 2 8 1.6 Air Quality Strategy for Wiltshire 2011-2015 1.6.1 The main aim of the strategy is: ‘Wiltshire Council working collaboratively will seek to maintain the good air quality in the county and strive to deliver improvements in areas where air quality fails national objectives in order to protect public health and the environment’ 1.6.2 The common factor in managing air quality in Wiltshire is the motor vehicle.