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What is the Council doing?
Air Quality Management Area
Spelthorne
recognised that our air quality was likely to exceed targets set by government so we declared the whole
Borough an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in
2000. This means that we have to monitor pollution levels and
manage development to ensure it is not going to make matters worse.
As the main source of NO2 emissions in our
Borough is from road traffic, Spelthorne Borough Council has to work with those that control the highways,
namely the Highways Agency and Surrey County Council. The Highways Agency is responsible for the motorways
that pass through the Borough (M25, M3) and major roads such as the A30 and A308. Surrey County Council
controls all the other roads in the Borough.
The second largest source of NO2 emissions
is from airport activities at Heathrow. So we must work with the other local authorities around the
airport (such as the London Boroughs of Hillingon and Hounslow and Slough Borough Council), the airport
operator, BAA, and British Airways, as the airline company using the airport most.
In 2005 we prepared an Action Plan about how air quality can be improved
in the Borough. Within this document we outlined actions that would be taken by Surrey County Council
and Spelthorne to tackle areas such as road emissions, emissions from the Council's own activities,
emissions from new developments, industrial emissions and smoke emissions. Since then, we have worked
with the County Council to deliver projects specific to the actions agreed upon.
Managing development
The
major pollutant in Spelthorne is nitrogen dioxide (NO2) which comes primarily
from cars. The more cars there are on the road, the more NO2 is emitted. We
now have a planning policy that insists developers carry out air
quality assessments for major developments.
For small developments in areas of better air quality we still ensure
the developer is incorporating cycling and walking facilities into the development, whereas for larger
developments and those in poorer air quality areas, specialist modelling is required to ensure they
do not negatively impact the area. This is often done at the application stage so that if the development
is going to worsen the air quality, the application can be refused on those grounds.
The Highways Agency and Surrey County Council, as highways authorities,
are also involved in managing development looking at whether the local road system can cope with any
extra traffic proposed and requiring improvements to road junctions to allow a better flow of traffic.
For major residential and commercial developments, the developer must also prepare a Travel Plan. The
aims of a Travel Plan are:
- to reduce the impact of car travel,
- to reduce the need to travel, and
- to encourage greater use of public transport, cycling and walking.
Within
the Travel Plan the developer must set targets to achieve towards these aims. A plan runs for between
five and nine years from occupation of the development.
Successful projects
There are many successful projects that Surrey County
Council and Spelthorne have carried out that are helping to improve air quality in the Borough. Below
are some examples of these projects:
- A Quality Bus Partnership has been established with the operator of the 441 Service to Heathrow. This project has included enhancements such as the introduction of a fleet of new low-emission vehicles and the publication of a new, improved timetable in 2007
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- The
County Council hosts an annual campaign, the Golden Boot Challenge, with schools across Surrey to encourage
pupils to use ways to get to school other than by car
- In 2007 a real-time car park monitoring and information system was launched
in Staines enabling people to receive better information about where spaces are available and spend
less time queuing
- All of the Council’s refuse collection vehicles have been upgraded to Euro
IV standard. We are monitoring the development of electric/petrol hybrid vans for future use
- By July 2007 nearly 70% of buses operating in Spelthorne met Euro III standards
- Since 2003 there has been a general decline in the number of reported domestic
and commercial bonfires within the Borough
- We have been expanding the NO2 monitoring network
within Spelthorne in order to develop a better understanding of our air quality
Full
list of projects being run by Spelthorne Borough Council and Surrey County Council
to improve air quality.
In 2008 we were awarded a £10,000 grant by Defra to implement an educational
project promoting emission reductions from business road transport in the Heathrow area - the "clear
ideas" campaign.
All four councils surrounding Heathrow (Hillingdon,
Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne councils) have declared Air Quality Management Areas and have Air Quality
Action Plans to reduce emissions from road traffic. The four boroughs will work together on this campaign
which looks to use a range of innovative communications tools to promote reductions in emissions from
road transport across the Heathrow area. The audiences aimed at will be:
- Senior Managers in large corporate business;
- Small and medium sized businesses;
- Secondary audiences such as sole traders, car drivers, motorcyclists;
and
- European freight haulage, their drivers and employees.
The
aim of the campaign is to start a communication process between all levels of businesses and aim at
exchanging best practice across the business community.
Heathrow Airwatch
All the boroughs that surround Heathrow Airport share
their monitoring data on the Heathrow air watch website. This
independent website provides air quality information specifically for the Heathrow area. You can compare
data from several locations around the airport as well as look at trends for the same location from
2001 to just a few hours ago.
Working with BAA and British Airways
There have been regular meetings with BAA; the airport
operator, British Airways and with our air quality colleagues at Slough Borough Council and the London
Boroughs of Hounslow and Hillingdon. This enables us to undertake monitoring and modelling studies consistent
with the other local authorities to build up a better picture of the impact of the airport and to work
on joint iniatives to encourage a reduction of emissions.
By engaging with BAA and BA, the Council can review what the airport
is doing about its emissions and encourage further measures. As a result we have been consulted on a
number of BAA initiatives and documents, including to name but two: the Heathrow air quality action
plan, and the Heathrow environment strategy. Involvement has also taken place on the Project
for a Sustainable Heathrow (external link).
Air pollution leaflet
(external link)
What can I do?
About traffic
Cars are the major source of poor air quality in Spelthorne. Our Air
Quality Management Area was declared because of NO2 which primarily comes from
road vehicles. Finding alternative ways to get around, like walking and cycling, not only reduces air
pollutants but also improves health.
Car pollution leaflet (external link) -- sections
include:
- Impacts of car pollution
- What is the government doing to reduce car pollution?
- Choosing a greener car
- What are the laws on car pollution?
- What can I do to reduce car pollution?
- Which fuel?
Walking
and cycling
The shortest car journeys cause the worst air pollution. Many of us
use cars without a second thought because we are used to the convenience and comfort. This has left
us with an unhealthy attitude to exercise and the environment.
Experts say 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day at least five days
a week is the key to improving your health. By walking a short distance a couple of times a day everyone
can meet this target with ease. Even walking to the shops at lunch could be enough.
Where our health and the environment are concerned, it’s the little
things that make all the difference.
- cheaper than joining the gym
- saves money on petrol
- improves air quality
- improves fitness
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Living
Streets (external link) runs the national "Walk to School" and "Walk
to Work" campaigns, working to bring streets to life with more walking and people friendly public
spaces.
75% of people in the UK live within two miles of a National Cycle Network
route. Locate routes near you using online mapping or browse suggested rides on the Sustrans
(external link) website.
Improvements to 16 school approach routes have been made since 2000,
and 20 schools in Spelthorne now have approved travel plans. Surrey County Council
is improving facilities for safer routes to school by
- providing more crossings
- providing more cycle paths and cycle parking facilities
- improving traffic calming measures
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Surrey County Council now runs cycling proficiency programmes for primary and secondary age children. If you are interested in cycling proficiency, speak with your child's school. For adults who want to improve their cycling skills, Surrey County Council runs sessions on request. Free maps of cycle routes are also available which include off-road and marked cycle paths, schools, and cycle shops.
For further information call 03456 009 009.
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There are various organisations that want to encourage people to think
about their options when travelling any journey. Now you can make an informed choice about how you travel:
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Walkit.com tells you how much carbon dioxide you have avoided by not using a car, taxi or bus. It also tells you how many calories you burn if you walk instead.
Travelfootprint.org gives a detailed comparison of the main methods of transport available in the UK and looks at how each impacts air quality and climate change.
Act on CO2 (external link) has a carbon footprint calculator where you can find out your total impact on climate change including how much carbon dioxide is emitted from your home.
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Car sharing
By car sharing you have the convenience and comfort of using a car,
you save money and relieve the stress and pollution caused by congestion, making the air we breathe
healthier. You can use it to get to work, do the weekly shop, take the children to school or even go
to the airport.
Surrey County Council has teamed up with the national organisation Liftshare,
the largest implementer of car-sharing systems in the UK, to set up www.surreycarshare.com.
Registering is free, the website is simple to use and gives helpful tips about travelling with a stranger.
Anyone working at Heathrow is eligible to take part in the BAA airport
car share scheme (external link).
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