Fairfield Road, Buxton Summer 2023
High Peak Borough Council (the Council) is seeking to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) along part of Fairfield Road. The particular area is shown in the plan below:
AQMA Fairfield Map (PDF) [1MB]
The reason for this declaration is that we have identified that along certain parts of this this road, Nitrogen Dioxide emissions from road traffic are, or are likely to, slightly exceed the current Air Quality objective.
Under Section 83(1) of the Environment Act 1995, where air quality objectives are not being met, we, as the local authority must proceed and designate this area as an AQMA.
Background
Air pollution can affect our health. Nitrogen Dioxide is a gas emitted from vehicle exhausts that can irritate the lungs and lower resistance to respiratory infections such as influenza. The Government publishes air quality targets for pollutants, such as Nitrogen Dioxide, and we, the Council, monitor air quality so it can be measured against the national objectives.
The main sources of air pollution in the UK are emissions from road traffic and, usually, the highest road-side concentrations are found where traffic volumes are high or where traffic regularly queues, which is often the case along Fairfield Road.
Further information on air quality, including a short video explaining what air pollution is and what we can do to address it can be found on our Air quality page.
Where monitoring identifies a pollution issue in a particular area, the Council is obliged to designate an AQMA.
Action Plan
Once we have declared the AQMA, the Council has 12 months to publish an action plan setting out how we will work towards improving air quality in this area. The Council is not the authority which is responsible for roads and cannot draw up the action plan, or implement the measures it identifies, without the co-operation of other organisations such as Derbyshire County Council Highways Authority, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and central Government.
The plan will take a practical approach to identifying the cause of the pollution (e.g HGVs, buses etc) so that the measures we take to reduce it are focussed on addressing these causes.
These measures could include:
- Encouraging the use of public transport, cycling, walking, park and ride schemes and car sharing
- Improving existing road layouts and junctions to assist with traffic flows and reduce waiting traffic and creating park and ride schemes
- Encouraging the use of electric vehicles and ensuring there are enough charging points
- Exploring new fuels and technologies to reduce emissions
All the actions set out in the plan will have clear targets and will be monitored so we know how effective they are at reducing pollution.
Improving Air Quality Together
We would like to find out the views of the residents and other interested parties which will help the Authority when declaring the Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs). Once the areas have designation the Council must develop and put into practice an action plan to improve air quality.
Your views could help us develop this plan and invite you to submit any ideas on how we can improve air quality.
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