3 Air Quality Compliance Monitoring PDF 486 KB
Purpose.
Under the terms of the Environment Act 1995 the government has issued a Ministerial Direction to Portsmouth City Council (PCC). This Direction requires PCC to develop a Local Air Quality Plan (LAQP) to identify measures which will dfeliver compliance with legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the shortest possible timeframe[1]. The purpose of this report is to inform the Cabinet Member as to how PCC proposes to increase the monitoring of NO2 levels in key areas of Portsmouth to assess the performance of the LAQP.
RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change approves:
1. The installation of an additional continuous air quality monitoring station and the continued deployment of diffusion tubes as set out within Sections 4 through to 8;
2. The use of alternative 'low-cost' monitoring devices as necessary as set out in Section 6.
[1] In the case of the Air Quality Local Plan this is considered to be measures that can be delivered as quickly as or more quickly than a charging Clean Air Zone can be made operational. JAQU consider that a charging CAZ could be operational in Portsmouth by the end of 2021; therefore other measure must be capable of being delivered by this date to be considered
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Richard Lee, Regulatory Services Manager introduced the report and in response to questions explained that
It is hoped that the monitoring station would be installed by the end of this financial year. One lane may be closed a couple of hours or half a day. His team will liaise with the Traffic Department in order to minimize any inconvenience.
The cost of manufacturing and analytics is approximately £15 per diffusion tube plus officer time.
A map showing all the tubes is on the council's website.
If there are immediate concerns can consider deploying more tubes.
The first year maintenance of the monitoring station is covered by the manufacturer's warranty. The council has a contract for the other four monitoring stations. The cost depends on the age of the equipment, what is being analysed and what problems may be encountered. It is likely to be approximately £15,000 per year.
Councillor Robert New welcomed the new monitoring station and noted that the costs seemed reasonable.
Councillor Dave Ashmore noted that:
· It is important to emphasise that low cost does not mean as cheap as possible. The more monitoring equipment that is installed, the better data can be obtained.
· The locations of the monitoring equipment and air quality data are on the council's website.
· This report deals with the monitoring station which is being installed in preparation for the Clean Air Zone and it is not the clean air strategy.
· The council is taking many actions to improve air quality including better cycle routes, electric vehicle charging and looking into a new location for the bus depot so that the buses could become electric.
DECISIONS
The Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change approved:
1. The installation of an additional continuous air quality monitoring station and the continued deployment of diffusion tubes as set out within sections 4 through to 8;
2. The use of alternative 'low-cost' monitoring devices as necessary as set out in Section 6.