The Government has today launched two consultations on proposals
to make it easier for local authorities to tackle poor air
quality in their areas. This builds on wider action to tackle air
quality, including the recent announcement of £11.6m for local
authorities to deliver projects to improve air quality and the
recent launch of a consultation on targets under the Environment
Act – including ambitious targets on PM2.5, the pollutant that is
most harmful to human health.
The first
seeks views on increased engagement between local authorities and
the communities that they serve, and an increased focus on the
impact of air quality on people’s health. Reduced exposure to air
pollution will prevent thousands of cases of heart disease,
strokes, asthma and lung cancers – and will reduce health
inequalities between and within communities, an important part of
the Government’s levelling up agenda.
The consultation will also look at the stronger requirements
introduced in the Environment Act 2021 for other organisations to
collaborate with local authorities in delivering Air Quality
Action Plans (AQAPs).
Local authorities have a legal obligation to monitor, assess and
act to improve local air quality if the objectives in their
action plans are not met. The statutory Local Air Quality
Management (LAQM) guidance being consulted on from today helps
them improve the way they do this by outlining the various
elements they should consider in these plans to ensure their
overall air quality objectives are achieved.
The Act also gives the Environment Secretary the power to
designate, subject to consultation, “relevant public authorities”
who must play a role in improving local air quality. The second
consultation proposes to designate National Highways in order
to ensure more consistent collaboration with local authorities to
reduce road pollution.
These two measures are designed to significantly contribute to
the successful implementation of AQAPs and ensure air quality
standards are met in our communities.
Environment Minister said:
“Air quality is our priority, and these consultations will build
on a swathe of other actions that we are already taking to help
local authorities clean up our air.
“We all want to see improved air quality in every part of our
country, helping health outcomes and reducing health inequalities
between and within communities. Coupled with recent funding
announcements and our consultation on air quality targets under
the Environment Act, we will drive forward long-lasting change to
the air we breathe.”
If it is subsequently designated a relevant public authority,
National Highways will have to commit to measures to help bring
roads back into compliance wherever transport using a major
highway has contributed to local air quality limits being
exceeded. These measures will then be included in AQAPs.
The revised LAQM guidance will ensure better cooperation between
local authorities and the government, increased consideration of
air quality disparities, better promotion of air quality
awareness and engagement, and the consideration of links between
air quality and climate change.
Local authorities have a central role in improving air quality,
as their local knowledge and interaction with their communities
leave them best placed to identify issues on the ground and
provide solutions that are appropriate for their area. In our
2019 Clean Air Strategy, the Government committed to driving
greater local action on air pollution by ensuring the
responsibilities for improving local air quality sat with local
government.
These consultations deliver on that commitment by ensuring
greater cooperation at a local level and broadening the range of
organisations that play a role in improving local air quality.
