Cabinet Members last week (Thursday 25 April) approved the council’s Air Quality Action Plan for 2013. They were presented with the action plan alongside details of air pollution figures and objectives to tackle high pollution areas within the district.
The principle aim of the Air Quality Action Plan is to coordinate strategies to offer a comprehensive strategic approach to the improvement of air quality across Thanet. This will enable key issues, including road traffic, transportation and development, to be addressed in an integrated manner and will assist in the promotion of effective Air Quality monitoring, management and education across a broader geographic area.
The plan highlights areas in Birchington and St. Lawrence which exceed health based objectives. The key measures the plan aims to implement over the next 12 months include:
- Investigate Traffic Signal and Junction Configuration
- Improving movement of freight
- Encouragement of public transport use
- Car Sharing and Travel Planning (with a number of sub-measures)
- Promotion of cycling and walking
- Development planning
- Promotion of Air Quality Issues
- Parking Enforcement
- Control of Industrial Emissions
- Feasibility studies and funding
Harvey Patterson, Thanet District Councils, Corporate and Regulatory Services Manager said: “The air quality in Thanet is generally good and it reflects a national picture in that it is improving, although there are two locations where concentrations of traffic currently cause the level of a pollutant called nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to be higher than is desirable.
“It is therefore essential that we set in motion these initiatives to ensure the population of Thanet’s health and well-being is protected.”
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