Portsmouth Air Quality Conference
Innovative ways to improve city air quality emerged at a conference held by Portsmouth City Council this month (Jan).
Representatives of the NHS, local businesses and Friends of the Earth joined members of the public and council officers for the event, designed to spark debate.
Some of the ideas that emerged included:
- setting up depots to encourage freight load sharing
- encouraging freight deliveries outside congested periods
- improving public transport interchange facilities
- using duel fuel buses
- promoting dual fuel at garages
- boosting flexible working practices
The conference, arranged by the council and hosted by environment portfolio holder Councillor Alex Bentley, was the culmination of the council's efforts to consult residents and businesses on possible options for action on improving air quality.
The council has declared 13 air quality management areas on the basis of annual nitrogen dioxide levels and is deciding what options would be best to reduce pollution to within government objectives.
Traffic fumes are the main source of pollution and goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes have been identified as being the single largest contributor to the problem.
Carol Tidmarsh from Defra gave a presentation to the conference on the national context and the health effects of air pollution, giving examples of projects around the country. Council transport policy team leader Paul Denyer spoke on its local transport plan, while his environmental protection colleague Ben Burfoot focused on the action planning project and gave some idea of what measures might work for Portsmouth and what the feedback from the public and businesses had been to date.
Working groups looked at specific air quality management areas and attempting to assess what the best s olutions for each area might be.
The conference formed part of the council's air quality action planning programme of communication and community involvement. Posters, newspaper ads and leaflets with the slogan 'What's the solution to air pollution' have encouraged local people to join the debate.
The council is encouraging anyone who lives or works in the city to complete a survey on the website, which offers a range of different ideas to improve the air quality in the city.
It has also held a joint event with the government's Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (Vosa), which attracted TV, radio and press coverage. While Vosa staff checked emissions from shoppers' cars near a city centre shopping mall, council officers handed out leaflets and promoted the air quality consultation.
Cllr Bentley said: "Action is needed to improve air quality, particularly in the 13 areas we've identified but first we need to know what kind of action residents want us to take. That's why we're asking people to get involved."
Associated documents:
Carol Tidmarsh - Defra - Air Quality Conference January 2007
(168.50 KB)
Paul Denyer Air Quality Conference - 18 Jan 2007
(268.00 KB)
Air Quality Conference minutes AQMA no6- London Road
(27.00 KB)
Summary of group discussion on options for 3
(21.00 KB)
Working group minutes AQMA 11 - M275 and Mile End Road
(28.00 KB)
Workshop session brief AQMA 3 and 9
(78.00 KB)
Workshop session briefing - M275 and Mile End Road
(171.50 KB)
Workshop session briefing - AQMA
(555.50 KB)