Welsh government calls for input on air pollution
A public consultation on how Wales can better manage air and noise pollution has been launched by cabinet secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths.
The Welsh government is seeking views on tackling air pollution
The Welsh Government is seeking views on a number of proposals developed with air quality and noise experts in local authorities, Public Health Wales and Natural Resources Wales.
The focus is primarily on improving the local air quality management (LAQM) regime. This long-standing, UK-wide system requires local authorities to monitor air quality and implement local air quality action plans accordingly.
While the current LAQM regime has been successful in identifying a large number of pollution hotspots, it has had limited success in eradicating them.
The proposals in the consultation aim to streamline processes and develop a robust procedure for following up overdue progress reports and action plans. The consultation will also ask what else we should be doing to tackle airborne pollution.
‘Listening mode’
Mrs Griffiths said: “Reducing air and noise pollution is hugely important if we are to improve people’s overall health and quality of life. The purpose of this consultation is to hear from as many people as possible on how we can best achieve this.
“For the next 12 weeks we will be in listening mode. I encourage people from all over Wales to have their say because this is an issue that affects us all.”
European Union
Mrs Griffiths also emphasised that following the referendum, the Welsh Government will seek to replicate and strengthen the legislation implemented by the European Union aimed at improving air quality.
She added: “We didn’t sign up to these EU air quality regulations reluctantly. We did it for a reason – because they aim to have a positive effect on public health.
“As we prepare to leave the European Union we will be looking at how these important regulations can be replicated and where possible, adapted and strengthened to meet specific Welsh needs.”
The consultation closes on 6 December.