Air quality

In Lancashire, the strongest evidence we have on the population health impacts of air pollution is provided by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities within their Public Health Outcomes Framework. The most recently published data shows that the estimated fraction of mortality attributable to particulate air pollution in Lancashire is 4.4% (2024).

Working with district councils, Lancashire County Council (LCC) has an important role to play in taking action to reduce the health impacts of air pollution. Improving air quality is also a key objective in the Council Plan 2025-2030.

Responsible for transport planning, network management, highway maintenance, public health and procuring local vehicle fleets, find out more about the different ways the county council supports local and county-wide efforts to improve air quality below:

Enabling the use of sustainable forms of travel

Lancashire's cycling and walking strategy, Actively Moving Forward, sets out an ambitious plan for increasing the number of people walking and cycling in the county by 2028. By improving and increasing access to cycling and walking infrastructure, alongside training and promotional activities, it aims to significantly increase the amount of cycling and walking people do across the county. Information on the County Council's ongoing activities in this area can be found on the Active Travel in Lancashire website.

As part of Lancashire's cycling and walking strategy, there are seven supplementary documents: Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs). These are:

 

  • Lancaster
  • Central Lancashire
  • West Lancashire
  • Fylde Coast
  • Ribble Valley
  • Burnley and Pendle
  • Rossendale and Hyndburn

As part of the LCWIP process, extensive public and stakeholder engagement was carried out. The LCWIPs were signed off by LCC cabinet in May 2024. They include a network plan for cycling and walking infrastructure and an aspirational list of schemes for delivery over short, medium, and long-term timeframes. They will be used to support future infrastructure decisions and to access new funding schemes as they become available.

Bus services across Lancashire operate in a deregulated market, meaning the County Council doesn't control the bus network, franchise routes or control fares. Buses in Lancashire are the most popular and well used form of public transport so are vital to ensure everyone can maintain connections with their friends and family, reach essential services, and access opportunities for education and employment.

As part of our Bus Service Improvement Plan, the county council will continue to work more closely with bus operators, alongside local communities, to create a network that people want and will use. The council has published a Lancashire Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme alongside its Bus Service Improvement Plan which together will deliver measures to restore confidence and grow patronage across Lancashire.

Supporting the transition to electric vehicles

The Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen EV Infrastructure Strategy was approved in July 2023 and sets out our plan to provide more EV chargepoints across the county. It considers the future demand for charging infrastructure and identifies broad locations for different types of charging needs, and whilst it is modelled data, it helps us to understand the size and type of public infrastructure that will be required.

LCC has already installed 150 fast and rapid chargepoints around Lancashire, either on LCC car parks or kerbside on our highways. These are operated on our behalf by BP Pulse. The types of chargepoints installed vary depending on the specific location, power supply and demand.

LCC was successful in securing £10.1m from the government's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Fund. The aim of this Fund is to deliver primarily local, low-power, on-street charging infrastructure, supporting residents who do not have access to off-street parking at home. This will help us to scale up the deployment of local chargepoints and deliver our strategy aims. We will be working closely with district councils and other partners to ensure county-wide provision suitable for the needs of the local area.

LCC has also secured £500,000 through the LEVI Pilot Fund to trial innovative solutions that will help people who do not have access to off-street parking. £100,000 supported a pilot scheme trialling three different types of cross-pavement solutions, providing 80 residents without off-street parking with a safe way to charge their EVs at home. The remaining £400,000 will support the delivery of at least 200 lamppost-integrated chargepoints.

The county council's Parking Services Team fleet vehicles are now fully electric, with charging infrastructure installed at the offices and depots where the vehicles are based and regularly visit. LCC's Fleet Services team is committed to switching to electric commercial vehicles, where possible, as set out in the LCC Highways Decarbonisation Strategy.

Creating cleaner, healthier road networks

The next Local Transport Plan 2025-2040 (LTP) for Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen will be adopted in 2026. The Public Health team has submitted an evidence base to inform the development of the LTP, highlighting transport-related health challenges affecting the population of Lancashire and making recommendations about how local transport planning policy can contribute to addressing these. The LTP will be accompanied by an Implementation Plan. The first iteration of the Implementation Plan will cover 2026-30 and the document will be reviewed and updated through the life of the LTP, providing an opportunity to identify longer-term network solutions that address issues in AQMAs and have a positive impact on air quality generally.

Embedding air quality into policy

LCC, as part of its highways input into planning applications, actively encourages measures that aim to promote sustainable forms of travel. Working under the direction of the National Planning Policy Framework, the county council seeks measures that facilitate cycling and walking, increase the use of public transport and provide access to electric vehicle charge points. LCC also seeks funding from developers, through Section 106 contributions, to support existing bus services or to provide new bus services suitable to serve development sites once they are built.

Raising awareness and increasing engagement

Lancashire Insight provides information on the sources and health impacts of air pollution across the county. Webpages include a Summary of Emissions Data and Monitoring of Air Quality and Health Impacts.