Press Release
Wednesday 5th March 2008
Gosport Road and Portland Street air quality consultation
Members of the public have until Friday 18th April to comment on a draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) by letting the council know which improvements they would like to see put into practice; actions they are not in favour of; and even provide any ideas they have to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
The draft AQAP, produced by Fareham Borough Council with the assistance of Hampshire County Council and other partners, relates to a section of the Gosport Road Fareham and Portland Street Fareham, which due to emissions of nitrogen dioxide (a gas known to affect the respiratory system and formed during the high temperature burning of fuel in road vehicles) were declared Air Quality Management Areas in 2006 and 2007 respectively. These were implemented following thorough testing of the area using monitoring tubes situated on the kerbside; on houses close to the busy roads and in background locations.
Examples of the improvement actions included in the draft AQAP are:
- To provide “Turn off your engine” signs in the bus station/taxi ranks
- To erect signs on the Gosport Road alerting vehicle users to the areas of poor air quality and indicating the need to share cars, etc
- To improve emission standards of the Fareham Borough Council vehicle fleet
- To seek a reduction in emissions from the local bus fleet
- To pursue emission testing in the AQMAs
- Develop a Quality Bus Partnership for the A32
- To provide a bus/rail interchange facility at Fareham rail station
- To provide an alternative to the light rapid transit system between Fareham-Gosport-Portsmouth
- To undertake improvements to the Quay Street roundabout in conjunction with the retail development of the old foundry site
- To provide real time bus information at bus stops
- Promotion of work travel plans including reduction in freight emissions
- Promotion of school travel plans;
- Promotion of public transport and
- Promotion of cycling and walking as alternatives to the car.
Executive Member for Public Protection, Councillor Arthur Mandry, said: “It is important that we hear the public’s views and ideas about reducing the emissions of nitrogen dioxide on our roads, particularly Gosport Road and Portland Street. I would urge the public to take this opportunity to comment before the closing date of 18th April.”
The draft Air Quality Action Plan can be viewed online at www.fareham.gov.uk; Fareham library; Fareham Borough Council’s civic offices; or Gosport Borough Council. The summary table of actions is shown in appendix 6 of the plan and the full explanation of the actions provided is in section 10.
All responses from the consultation will be considered prior to the publication of the final version of the Air Quality Action Plan
Ends
Notes to editors
The Government Air Quality objective for this gas is an annual mean concentration of
40 ug/m3. The AQMAs have been declared as monitoring and computer modelling has shown that this objective is being exceeded in these areas. The purpose of declaring the AQMAs is to ensure that action is taken locally to improve air quality.
Fareham Borough Council has been monitoring nitrogen dioxide levels in various parts of the Borough since the early 1990s using passive diffusion tubes. The Council currently has nearly 40 tubes on lampposts and at private properties. These provide a monthly average result that is then used to assess the annual average level of nitrogen dioxide for the location.
For Further Information Contact:
Sue Rance, Publicity Officer, tel: 01329 824518
fax: 01329 821518, e-mail: publicity@fareham.gov.uk
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