Air Quality Action Plan

Dundee City Council Air Quality Action Plan 2011 (1.8MB PDF)Where local authorities have declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), they have a duty to produce an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP). Following the declaration of the Dundee AQMA for NO2 in 2006 and then the amendment to include PM10 in 2010, Dundee City Council published it’s Air Quality Action Plan (1.8MB PDF) in January 2011.

The AQAP includes a series of measures that the authority intends to introduce in pursuit of the Air Quality Standards (AQS) objectives. The principal aim of the AQAP is to minimise the effects of air pollution on human health within the local authority area using all reasonable measures, within reasonable time frames, and by working towards achieving the AQS objectives and standards. In order to comply with the AQS objectives it may be necessary to include measures beyond the boundaries of the areas of exceedence. Some of the measure also benefits areas out-with the areas of exceedence thereby improving the health of the population as a whole.

The following table outlines the measured contained in the January 2011 AQAP, who the lead authority/s for the proposed actions are, and an indication of the timescale for the proposed action. Dundee City Council is required to produce an annual AQAP Progress Report on how it is progressing with the AQAP measures;  a brief summary of each of these reports can be found on the 'Air Quality Reports' page.

Measure

Actions

Lead Authority

   Timescale

Traffic Measures

Measure M1:
Existing Road Infrastructure Improvements.

- City Centre Improvements

- DCC City Development Department (Transport Division)

Medium term

Measure M2:
DCC will enhance the Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) system to reduce congestion.

- Real-time traffic monitoring

- Improve control regime to smooth out peak traffic

- DCC City Development Department (Transport Division)

2011+

Measure M3:
DCC to identify partnership and funding to continue benefits of Smarter Choices/Smarter Places: Dundee Travel Active Programme.

- Identify and implement wider partnership to continue programme

- Identify funding

- DCC City Development Department (Transport Division)

2011+

Measure M4: DCC will introduce measures to improve bus services and reduce emissions.

- Statutory Bus Quality Partnership

- Voluntary Bus Quality Partnership

- Fleet Renewal – Emissions Improvements

- Tackling Idling Bus Emissions

- Low Emission Zones for buses

- DCC City Development Department (Transport Division)

2013 (Medium Term)

2011+ (Short Term)

2011+

2011+

2015 -2016+
(Medium term)

Measure M5: DCC will explore provision of Park and Ride facilities.

- Provision of Park and Ride (P&R) facilities

- DCC City Development Department (Transport Division)

- TACTRAN

Med Term
2014+

Measure M6: DCC will introduce measures to reduce emissions from Heavy Goods Vehicles.

- Perth & Dundee Retail Freight Consolidation Centre

- Freight Quality Partnership (FQP)

- DCC City Development Department (Transport Division)

- TACTRAN

- DCC City Development (Transportation Division, Planning Division)

2011+
 

Long term

Measure M7: DCC will seek improvements in emissions standards, including NO2 and PM10 for the council fleet and public service vehicles.

- Development of Green Procurement Strategy

- To set target for Euro category/fuel type

- DCC Corporate Fleet Manager

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Measure M8: DCC in consultation with the Taxi Liaison Group will explore means of reducing  emissions from taxis and private car hire vehicles in AQMA.

- Enforce No idling for taxis

- Increase cleaner taxis in regards to pollutant emissions

- DCC Support Service

- DCC City Development Department

- Tayside Police

2011+

Measure M9: Dundee CC will investigate to initiate a Roadside Emission Testing (RET) scheme inside the AQMA and routes leading to AQMA.

- To investigate into the establishment of a programme of RET in the AQMA

- VOSA

- Tayside Police

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Policy and Partnership Working Measures

Measure M10:    DCC will ensure local air quality is fully integrated into the LDP process and development scenarios are appropriately assessed with respect to the potential impacts on air quality.

- Provide AQ policy within Local Development Plan with commitment to improve air quality

- Produce air quality Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG)

 

- DCC City Development (Planning Division)

- DCC Environment Department

2013+ (Med Term)

Measure M11:  DCC will ensure effective co-ordination between climate change and air quality strategies and action plan measures.

- Strategy to be developed to improve co-ordination between climate change and air quality strategies and action plan measures

- DCC Corporate Planning Department

- DCC City Development -(Property Division)

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Measure M12:  DCC will continue its active involvement and support of TACTRAN.

- Regularly attend meetings

- Provide feedback

- Provide necessary support

- DCC City Development Department. (Transport Division)

Ongoing

Leading by Example Measures

Measure M13:  DCC will promote the uptake and use of cleaner and/or alternative fuels where possible for transport.

DCC will explore the development of electric charging point infrastructure.

- Determine strategy/advise note and annually review content

- Install Electric Charging Facilities in Car Parks

- DCC City Development Department  (Transport Division)

2011

Measure M14:  DCC will establish and implement a rolling programme for replacing older more polluting vehicles with newer cleaner vehicles, which comply with the prevailing EURO standard.

- Development of Green Procurement Strategy

- DCC Corporate Fleet Manager

2011

Measure M15:  DCC will improve the Council’s vehicle fuel consumption efficiency by better management of fleet activities.

- Develop fleet management plan to improve fuel efficiency;

- Investigate fleet activities in relation to pollution hotspots e.g. waste management fleet routes

- DCC Corporate Fleet Manager

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Measure M16:  DCC will promote options for better travel planning amongst Dundee City Council employees.

- Review DCC Travel Plan

- DCC to investigate use of annual survey on how/what modes of transport employees use to travel to work

 

- DCC City Development (Transportation Division)

2011+

Measure M17: DCC will continue to promote and encourage their employees to consider the use of bicycles in their daily duties by providing cycle usage mileage.

- Continue to investigate and develop the use of various incentive schemes

- Develop cycling strategies

- DCC to investigate use of annual survey on how/what modes of transport employees use to travel to work

- DCC City Development (Transportation Division)

2011+

Measure M18:  DCC will assess the Council’s energy needs, make recommendations and implement reductions of carbon emissions which result in corresponding reductions of NO2 and PM10.

- DCC to implement annual energy reduction action plan

- DCC City Development (Property   Division)

2011+

Measure M19:  DCC to promote and support localised energy generation that don't compromise Air Quality in private households.

- Determine strategy / advise note and annually review content

- DCC Housing Department

- Solar Cities

2011+

Education and Community Initiatives Measures

Measure M20:  DCC will provide the public with relevant air quality information.

 

- Investigating the potential for uptake of an air pollution information system, such as Air Alert

- Improvements to AQ website information

- Make up to date air quality information available to the public through Councils digital website

- DCC Environment Department

- DCC City Development(Transport Division)

2011+

Measure M21:  DCC will continue its work to increase uptake and implementation of School and Workplace Travel Plans, particularly where likely to impact on the AQMA.

 

- DCC to ensure all relevant commercial planning applications have travel plan conditions applied in accordance with current best practice.

- DCC to produce Travel Plan  Strategy which:

- Details procedure for tracking & possible requirement for enforcement of planning conditions requiring travel plans

- Details procedure for Travel Plan Information storage at DCC

- DCC City Development Department, (Planning Division, Transportation Division)

- DCC Education Department

 

2011+

Measure M22:  DCC will continue working in partnerships with TACTRAN and local active travel networks to ensure that walking and cycling initiatives are promoted and supported in Dundee.

- Identify walking & cycling schemes (such as Park & Cycle)

- Identify walking & cycling promotional opportunities around Dundee City

 

- DCC City Development (Transportation Division)

2011+

Measure M23:    DCC will continue to work with transport providers to support and promote increased uptake of public transport modes.

- Promote schemes such as the SQUID card including Dundee and surrounding towns

- Introduce smart and integrated ticketing

- DCC  City Development (Transportation Division)

2011+

Measure M24:  DCC will continue to work in partnership with other organisations to promote and implement energy efficiency measures in Dundee.

- To implement an Annual Action Plan of energy efficiency measures.

- DCC City Development (Property Division)

2011+

Measures securing Air Quality benefits through Statutory Functions

Measure M25:  DCC Environmental Health will comment upon planning applications to ensure that all relevant air quality issues are highlighted and mitigation measures are considered wherever possible.

- The Pollution Team will continue to work with Planning Development Control as Statutory Consultees

- DCC City Development Department (Planning Division)

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Measure M26:    DCC will enforce statutory legislation to control smoke, dust, fumes or gas emissions from commercial and domestic premises which are causing a nuisance or are prejudicial to health.

- DCC will continue to monitor and enforce statutory legislation in this area

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Measure M27:    DCC will enforce relevant legislation to reduce the burning of commercial and domestic waste

- DCC will continue to monitor and enforce legislation in this area

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Measure M28:    DCC will promote composting in a bid to reduce pollution from domestic bonfires.

- Reintroduce discount/promotion campaign for compost bins

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Local Air Quality Management Measures

Measure M29: DCC will continue to monitor a range of air pollutants throughout Dundee and make the monitoring information freely available to the public in an easily understandable form.

- Continued support for Dundee Air Quality Monitoring Network

- DCC Environment Department

2011+

Measure M30:    DCC will ensure that all air quality monitoring data reported to the public is both accurate and precise by implementing quality control measures.

- Regular  calibrations and filter changing of continuous monitoring equipment in DCC’s air quality stations

- At least annual audit of air quality stations’ equipment

- Appropriate use and care of NO2 diffusion tubes regularly deployed around the City Council area.

- DCC Environment Department  / Tayside Scientific Services

 

2011+

Measure M31: DCC will establish additional monitoring sites across the City in locations where poor air quality is suspected.

- DCC will continue to carry out and report on their statutory duties under the Review & Assessment process for LAQM

- DCC Environment Department

 

2011+

Measure M32: DCC will implement road traffic counts to inform the review and assessment process.

- Undertake classified traffic counts

- DCC Environment Department

2011+


Contact

Email: pollution.control@dundeecity.gov.uk
Tel: 01382 433710