Air Quality Public Consultation

A consultation about the proposal to extend the two Air Quality
Management areas has been launched by Thanet District Council.

The Council has been reviewing local air quality and pollution on an
ongoing basis since December 1997. These reviews take into account the
Government guidance and statutory air quality objectives.  Thanet
Council has now launched a public consultation to gauge residents and
businesses opinion on the existing Air Quality Management Areas.

The first Air Quality Management Areas were The Square, Birchington in
2006 and High Street St Lawrence, Ramsgate in 2010.

A draft Air Quality Action Plan has been created and is available to
view and comment on at www.thanet.gov.uk/airquality.  The Action Plan
aims to draw on and coordinate efforts to help tackle pollution within
these areas.

There are two options to be considered, the first is to continue to
have individual and Air Quality Management Areas where the air quality
exceeds national objectives for nitrogen dioxide and needs  improvement;
the second option is to join up the individual areas to allow actions
and measures to be targeted to the wider urban area rather than smaller
individual areas.

The second option would enable the Council to manage the air quality
over the whole area which would help to alleviate all future potential
pollution hot spots.  It would apply a common series of measures that
can be used everywhere and would enable decisions to be made that worked
over the whole urban area.

The consultation will run until the end of October and Environmental
Health Officers will be available to discuss the issue at drop in
sessions at three venues on the following dates:

●    Westwood Cross between 10:00 and 16:00 hours on Wednesday 21st
September;
●    Birchington Village Hall 10:00 to 12:00 on Thursday 22nd
September;
●    St Lawrence Concorde Youth Centre 14:00 to 16:00 on Thursday
22nd September.


Amanda Berry, Environmental Health Officer at Thanet District Council
said, “Air quality across Thanet is generally good and currently only
exceeds national air quality objectives for nitrogen dioxide from
traffic pollution at two busy junctions: The Square, Birchington and
High Street, St Lawrence.  Unfortunately government predictions that air
quality will improve with technological advancement in vehicles emission
standards have not been as successful as predicted and local measures to
improve air quality are needed to help prevent further exceedance areas
developing.  A draft Action Plan is now available and we welcome your
comments.”