9 Better Air Quality

9.1 Introduction

We will ensure that air quality in Lancashire meets, or improves on, the statutory standards.

We recognise that good air quality is essential for a healthy environment. Improvements in air quality will contribute to raised levels of health. Vehicle emissions are a major source of pollutants which affect air quality locally and contribute to the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. The County Council will therefore take steps to reduce congestion and delays to traffic in urban areas. We will also promote the use of vehicles which use cleaner fuels and have better fuel economy.

Lancashire Environment Strategy

Working through the Lancashire Environmental Partnership, the County Council has prepared an Environment Strategy for the period 2005-2010. A key action under Health and the Environment is to reduce the levels of pollution from transport. The progress of this strategy will be included in the Annual Monitoring Reports.

National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS)

District Councils, working with the County Council, have an obligation to meet the standards set out in the National Air Quality Strategy. The strategy will give protection to local, county and regional air quality standards, which in turn will contribute to conditions globally.

The County Council will establish the existing levels of pollution in all areas of Lancashire, set future targets, identify measures to address transport-related air quality problems and set out the qualitative impacts of proposed measures.

We will;

• Work with District Councils and other statutory bodies to assess specific air pollutants and identify the major sources through a combination of monitoring and modelling techniques
• Work with District Councils and other statutory bodies in areas where public exposure exceeds national or LTP2 air quality objectives
• Identify measures to address transport-related air quality problems in Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) or LTP2 identified areas and quantify air quality, environmental, social and economic impacts
• Promote air quality management in development control and other Local Transport Plan strategies.
• Monitor air quality in real-time on corridors as part of the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to allow informed decisions to be made by network users and the Traffic Manager.

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