Decision details
To award the contract for the purchase and installation of the Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS) in Leominster and the replacement AQMS station in Hereford.
Decision Maker: Corporate Director – Economy & Environment
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
The Local Air Quality Management (LAQM)
process (as set out in Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 and the
relevant Policy and Technical Guidance documents) places an
obligation on all local authorities to regularly review and assess
air quality in their areas, and to determine whether the air
quality objectives are likely to be achieved. Where there is an
exceedance or it is considered likely an exceedance will occur, the
local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA)
and prepare an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) setting out the
measures it intends to put in place in pursuit of the
objectives.
Monitoring of pollutants within Herefordshire up to 2018 has shown
an exceedance of the NO2 Air Quality Objectives at both Air Quality
Management Area (AQMA’s) (Hereford 42 µg/m3 and
Bargates 45.1 µg/m3).
An AQMA is declared where the national ‘air quality
objective’ set by the Government is exceeded.
The major source of air pollutants in Herefordshire is vehicle
emissions, specifically the emissions from the A49 Road through
Hereford and Bargates Road junction in Leominster have been
identified as significant.
This decision will approve expenditure on the purchase and
installation of Air Quality Monitoring Station Resource
Improvements. With the intention to update the equipment on
Victoria Street, Hereford with DEFRA approved air quality
monitoring equipment and to expand the Air Quality Monitoring
Station, network to include a second Air Quality Monitoring Station
in Leominster. To ensure that the council is able to meet its
statutory obligations.
Benefits of this asset investment will:-
• significantly improve the scope and reliability of air
quality monitoring data capture
• provide real-time DEFRA approved monitoring within the
Hereford and Leominster AQMA
• utilise, integrate and promote this information directly to
the public through:
o the ‘Destination Herefordshire’ active travel
behavioural change campaign to further influence travel choices and
behaviour,
o the Council’s Health & Wellbeing Board, and
o Council media and the Council’s website
• demonstrate the Council’s commitment and compliance
with statutory provisions within Part IV of the Environment Act
1995
• develop new air quality monitoring capabilities in
Leominster by installing an AQMS in the Leominster AQMA,
• modernise the existing AQMS asset in Hereford,
• improve reliability of the existing AQMS asset in
Hereford,
• reduce escalating maintenance costs of aging and outdated
air quality monitoring equipment in Hereford, and
• Reduce escalating need for Environmental Health staff
intervention / resource to address breakdowns of the AQMS asset in
Hereford.
Documents relating to this decision are available at
https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=8261
Contact: Ross Cook, Corporate Director - Economy and Environment Email: ross.cook@herefordshire.gov.uk.
Publication date: 15/03/2022
Date of decision: 10/03/2022
Accompanying Documents: