Colchester seeks views on five-year air quality plan

Borough council launches draft copy of five-year Air Quality Action Plan for consultation

Colchester borough council is seeking views from residents, businesses and operators on a five-year draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) to help tackle air pollution in the area.

A primary cause of air pollution in Colchester is exhaust fumes

The draft AQAP aims to target areas of the borough with high pollution levels and outlines a set of actions to improve air quality in Colchester between 2016 and 2021, such as implementing a Clean Air Zone within the town centre.

It also plans to encourage transport operators to reduce emissions and commits the council to lead by example and champion low emission technology in new developments.

A statement from the council said: “One of the primary causes of air pollution in Colchester is exhaust fumes from traffic, particularly from older diesel vehicles. These affect vehicle occupants and those living or working near busy roads.

“All residents, businesses and operators of buses, taxis and goods vehicles therefore have an important role to play.”

Consultation

Residents are being asked to provide feedback on the draft, which can be found on the Colchester council consultation page.

Starting from today (15 January), a questionnaire survey is available to view and comment on up to Friday 11 March 2016.

The council said that all comments will be reviewed, alongside responses from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and will assist decisions made to finalise the action plan.

Low Emission Strategy

To support the development of the AQAP, Colchester council has created a draft Low Emission Strategy (LES).

Funded by a £50,000 Defra grant, the LES aims to address traffic emissions in more detail and support improvements in air quality and health in affected urban areas.

Councillor Tina Bourne, portfolio holder for housing and public protection at Colchester borough council, said: “Air pollution is a serious public health challenge, everyone has the right to breathe clean air.

“This strategy and action plan propose ambitious measures to improve health outcomes and ensure Colchester is a thriving and welcoming place. I encourage everyone to view the documents online, to give us their views and consider how they can be part of the solution.”