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Three areas in Teignbridge are to benefit from actions to improve air quality following their designation as Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs).
Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot; Newton Road, Kingsteignton; and Oakford Cross, Kingsteignton will be included in an amended version of an existing AQMA for Newton Abbot Town Centre. This means these areas had higher levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air when they were last tested.
Teignbridge constantly monitors air quality levels across the district and uses computer modelling to predict how the pollution from traffic will disperse, enabling it to identify areas where air quality is likely to be poorer. Every three years it reports on levels of nitrogen dioxide in residential areas around Teignbridge and considers whether any areas need to be included in AQMAs.
The good news for areas designated as AQMAs is that there will be active steps taken to improve air quality as part of an Air Quality Action Plan (required by the Environment Act 1995). Teignbridge is currently preparing an Action Plan for all of its AQMAs, and will be consulting on the plan with local people in coming months. The draft Action Plan has already been approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and has been prepared alongside Devon County Council as the authority responsible for traffic and roads.
Much of the action to help improve air quality would be taken by Devon County Council as highways authority. Likely measures to help improve it could include altering road junctions and looking at whether signal controlled junctions would improve traffic flow and reduce pollution. Teignbridge Council would also help by using planning agreements, known as Section 106 agreements, to secure money from developers for schemes that may have an impact on air quality. This money could then be used to fund measures to reduce pollution.
Cllr Gordon Hook, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for Environmental Services said:
“I am concerned that the air we breathe can cause people, the very young and the elderly in particular, to suffer ill health. We can all do little things to improve air quality - drive cars less, walk, cycle or use public transport more. The council is very keen to explore with local communities ways of improving the situation and a full consultation exercise will soon follow.
Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot; Newton Road, Kingsteignton; and Oakford Cross, Kingsteignton will be included in an amended version of an existing AQMA for Newton Abbot Town Centre. This means these areas had higher levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air when they were last tested.
Teignbridge constantly monitors air quality levels across the district and uses computer modelling to predict how the pollution from traffic will disperse, enabling it to identify areas where air quality is likely to be poorer. Every three years it reports on levels of nitrogen dioxide in residential areas around Teignbridge and considers whether any areas need to be included in AQMAs.
The good news for areas designated as AQMAs is that there will be active steps taken to improve air quality as part of an Air Quality Action Plan (required by the Environment Act 1995). Teignbridge is currently preparing an Action Plan for all of its AQMAs, and will be consulting on the plan with local people in coming months. The draft Action Plan has already been approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and has been prepared alongside Devon County Council as the authority responsible for traffic and roads.
Much of the action to help improve air quality would be taken by Devon County Council as highways authority. Likely measures to help improve it could include altering road junctions and looking at whether signal controlled junctions would improve traffic flow and reduce pollution. Teignbridge Council would also help by using planning agreements, known as Section 106 agreements, to secure money from developers for schemes that may have an impact on air quality. This money could then be used to fund measures to reduce pollution.
Cllr Gordon Hook, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for Environmental Services said:
“We do our utmost to provide a clean environment, and while traffic is a fact of life, we do have a duty to make sure that pollution from exhausts does not have negative effects on residential communities. By identifying AQMAs we can clearly see where air quality is an issue and prepare plans to help make it better.
“I am concerned that the air we breathe can cause people, the very young and the elderly in particular, to suffer ill health. We can all do little things to improve air quality - drive cars less, walk, cycle or use public transport more. The council is very keen to explore with local communities ways of improving the situation and a full consultation exercise will soon follow. “We all need to work together to drive pollution down, and we’ll be doing our bit to help.”
