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USA 2015 and Detailed Assessment Stratford 2016 Results
USA 2015 and Detailed Assessment Stratford 2016 Results
Consultation results
Updating and Screening Assessment report – annual air quality report for the Suffolk Coastal district
Stratford St Andrew Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) Further Assessment report March 2016
During March 2016 we undertook a Public Consultation asking for views and comments on 2 air quality reports that had been produced;
- The Updating and Screening Assessment report – this provides an annual summary of the district’s air quality and includes updates on each of our 3 AQMAs.
- The Further Assessment report for the Stratford St Andrew AQMA – this is required following declaration of an AQMA. The report provides additional information including a further year of monitoring data, specific sources of the pollutant concerned (nitrogen dioxide), and suggestions on how to reduce the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the AQMA.
The Consultation ran for 6 weeks and ended on 29th April 2016.
Key findings:
- The Council received a total of 5 responses to the Consultation which are detailed in the table below. We have sent individual replies to each of the 5 consultees.
- 4 responses were specific to the AQMA declared in Woodbridge, and 1 was a general response regarding assessment of Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) in the district.
| Consultee | Category | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Resident of Thoroughfare, Woodbridge | Member of Public | With reference to your letter dated 9th March I have the following comments specific to the air pollution in Woodbridge. a) The measures taken since your original Action Plan of May 2011 have had negligible effect. b) The development at Cedar House has involved the felling of nearly 4 acres of mature trees and shrubbery which when added to the planned 70 dwellings to be built on your current office site and the proposal to run mini-buses from your new site into Woodbridge for your staff, will significantly add to the problem. An increasing number of people are therefore likely to suffer as a result of air pollution at Woodbridge Junction if decisive action is not taken now. That action should include consideration of; a) Total pedestrianisation of the Thoroughfare from the Junction to the Cross. b) Develop Deben Road along the railway from Lime Kiln Quay Road at least as far as Dock Lane c) Adjust the direction of traffic flow along St. John’s Street, the new Deben Road and Melton Road to minimise congestion at the Junction. |
| Resident of Thoroughfare, Woodbridge | Member of Public | I Live at The Thoroughfare and as you will appreciate am very aware of the traffic queuing for the Sun Corner traffic lights. As one of your report recommendations is to move the Traffic Lights further along The Thoroughfare towards Melton Hill I can see that I am likely to have more queuing traffic stationary outside my house. If this is lightly to be implemented, whether it be on a trial or permanent basis I would ask you if you are going to do any pre and post monitoring of the noise levels in the houses. I was obviously well aware of the road noise when I brought the house 16 years ago but have no wish to have it increased by Council actions. Please give the above your consideration. |
| Member of Greenprint Forum | Environmental Group | My concern is of a general nature in that since ClientEarth won a Supreme Court ruling against the UK government in April last year Defra's plans to tackle illegal levels of pollution fall woefully short of what was ordered by the court and that the Royal College of Physicians confirm that 40,000 lives are being lost each year as a direct result of illegal dirty air. For more information see:- http://www.dev.clientearth.org/no2dirtyair/ In particular given the Supreme Court ruling should the report have included information about PM 2.5? |
| Resident of Thoroughfare, Woodbridge | Member of Public | The simplest measure that would have greatest affect on air quality in this area would be to restrict or stop parking in the road between Pytches Road and St John Street traffic lights. Parking in this area causes significant build up of vehicles leaving Woodbridge towards Melton Hill,( particularly heavy Diesel engine vehicles), waiting for breaks in the traffic approaching Woodbridge, before applying full throttle to get through the single carriage way that remains, to climb the hill towards Melton. Sometimes the traffic queues all the way back to the lights before they can attempt to "run the gauntlet" causing both noise and air pollution as well as congestion. Any other measures taken are just expensive tinkering around in order for a few people to find free parking for the day. |
| Resident of Thoroughfare, Woodbridge | Member of Public | In my opinion there has to be 'joined up' and consistent thinking by all involved. With respect, this has not yet happened. In May 2014, when I opposed (on behalf of the closest residents to the site) the application for Outline Planning Permission for the development of land behind Cedar House and The Grove, I cited the effect on air quality (amongst other issues) both at The Junction and also the junction of Pytches Road/ The Thoroughfare/ Melton Hill of:
Were we listened to? No, we were not. We were ignored by the Council, Planners and Committee Councillors, the latter disregarding the heartfelt views of their electorate. Where was the Steering Group's contribution? I am not aware of any reaction from them. Since then trees which we were advised were protected, have been felled which exacerbates the problem. I am not aware of any requirements imposed on that site to counteract the devastating effect of the whole development on our air quality. I wonder what conditions will be imposed on SCDC's own Melton Hill site to protect our air quality. It is a huge pity that interest and support has not been offered, and real action taken, in the past when local residents have tried to protect the air quality at The Junction (and elsewhere). Valuable opportunities have been lost and it is the local residents who will suffer. I hope future action will be effective but it must be representative of all groups in the local community, determined and anticipatory, not just responsive. |
Actions to be taken following the Consultation:
- Suffolk Coastal District Council is in the process of updating their Action Plan for the Woodbridge Junction and the Steering Group are focusing on options which will have a more significant impact on air quality at the junction.
- When investigating the trial to move the stop lines back at the traffic lights, consideration will be given to potential impacts on residential properties along the junction and its approach – not just from air quality changes but also noise and any other issues that may come to light.
- Monitoring for nitrogen dioxide will continue at the junction and yearly reports containing the monitoring data will be published on the council’s website.
- Air Quality will continue to be considered in planning policy and future planning permissions in general, and more specifically with relation to the redevelopment of the current Suffolk Coastal Council Offices site.
- A Travel Plan is being produced for the new Council offices at Melton to try and reduce impacts from Council generated traffic on the local area including specifically the AQMA declared at the Woodbridge Junction.
- The Government has recently released new air quality guidance which refers, for the first time, directly to PM2.5. The new guidance has introduced a flexible role, with Local Authorities being expected to work towards reducing emissions and concentrations of PM2.5 as far as is practicable, there is no regulatory standard. In doing so we are not required to carry out any additional local review and assessment (including monitoring) but instead make use of national monitoring data. The guidance offers some examples of how this can be done and SCDC will be addressing this in its Annual Status Report due to be submitted to Defra this year. Our PM2.5 role will progress over time with us firstly collating the activities that we currently do to aid in its reduction, and then looking at additional measures that can be taken.