Air quality plan agreed for Dunfermline

Fife council approves Air Quality Action Plan for Appin Crescent after high readings of PM10 and NO2

Fife council has approved plans to improve air quality in the Appin area of Dunfermline, after councillors approved the measures at a meeting yesterday (May 8).

An Air Quality Management Area was established for a site near Appin Crescent in November 2011 following high measurements of nitrogen dioxide NO2 and fine particles PM10 in the area.

Local authorities across the UK have introduced Air Quality Action Plans in order to tackle emissions from traffic

In February council officers drew up plans to reduce the emissions from vehicles of NO2 and PM10 by between 18% and 40% respectively, which it believes will bring it in line with the annual mean air quality levels.

Councillors agreed to adopt the plan at a meeting of the council’s Dunfermline Area Committee on Wednesday.

The plan includes measures to reduce congestion around busy roads by changing signage to divert some vehicles onto quieter routes and to promote more sustainable transport options including public transport and cycling.

Planning

Meanwhile council planning officers will also seek to ensure that Air Quality is integrated alongside other council strategies including planning and transport.

Douglas Mayne, service manager, said: “Our Air Quality Action Plan sets out how we aim to improve the air quality in the Appin Crescent area.  We are already looking at the best means by which these measures can be progressed in seeking to deliver air quality improvements in the Appin Crescent area. This will include inviting representatives of public and business communities to our Appin Crescent Steering Group meetings to include stakeholders in the action planning process.”

Some of the funding for implementing the measures is likely to come from a £15,500 grant obtained from the Scottish Government Air Quality Grant scheme earlier this year, but the bulk of the measures will be paid for through council budgets.

Fife council is set to continue to review and assess air quality to monitor the success of the plan.

AQMAs were introduced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in December 1997 and require local authorities to regularly measure air pollution levels. If an area is found to be likely to fall foul of national air quality objectives councils have a statutory duty to declare the site as an AQMA, and then take steps to improve air quality.