Report by the Director of Community Resources.
7
There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Resources relative to the findings of the most recent 2015 Updating & Screening Assessment, and advising of the conclusions of the detailed assessments undertaken at High Street, Johnstone, Montgomery Road, Paisley and the Renfrew area.
The report intimated that following the introduction of the Environment Act 1995, all Scottish local authorities required to undertake a regular review and assessment of air quality within their area and submit their findings to the Scottish Government. The Council had completed annual reviews and assessments of local air quality across Renfrewshire since 1998. Where a review of air quality indicated that there was a risk of a limit value or objective being exceeded, local authorities were required to follow a clear process. The process was outlined within the report.
The report provided the findings of the 2015 Updating & Screening Assessment, which reviewed 2014 air quality data, as well as the conclusions of the detailed assessments undertaken at High Street, Johnstone, Montgomery Road, Paisley and the Renfrew area. The 2015 Updating & Screening Assessment had identified that there was a risk that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels were being breached at West Walkinshaw, Paisley and Inchinnan Road, Renfrew and that a detailed assessment would require to be carried out for NO2 at those locations.
The Detailed Assessment reports for High Street, Johnstone, Montgomery Road, Paisley and the Renfrew area had been undertaken as the 2014 Updating & Screening Assessment had identified that the annual mean NO2 objective had been exceeded at these locations. The key conclusions of the detailed assessment reports were provided. The report stated that there were currently 693 air quality management areas declared in the UK, one of which was in Paisley town centre. Options included the expansion of the current Air Quality Management Area in Renfrewshire to include the above areas or the creation of a number of additional smaller air quality management areas. There were perceived benefits and disadvantages in both approaches and it was proposed that a detailed analysis of these be undertaken and a further report be submitted to a future meeting of this Board setting out options and recommendations.
DECIDED:
(a) That the outcome of the 2015 Updating & Screening Assessment on air quality throughout the Council area and the requirement to proceed to two further Detailed Assessments for the annual mean NO2 objective at West Walkinshaw, Paisley and for the one hour NO2 objective at Inchinnan Road, Renfrew be noted;
(b) That the outcome of the Johnstone High Street Detailed Assessment and the requirement to declare an Air Quality Management Area in the Johnstone High Street area be noted;
(c) That the outcome of the Renfrew Detailed Assessment and the requirement to declare an Air Quality Management Area at the M8 and Town Centre areas be noted;
(d) That the outcome of the Montgomery Road, Paisley Detailed Assessment and that there was no current requirement for further action in this area be noted; and
(e) That it be agreed that a further report be submitted to a future meeting of this Board setting out options and recommendations for the establishment of a wider or multiple Air Quality Management Areas within Renfrewshire and proposals for monitoring and reviewing performance on air quality that reflected the impact that the Council could have on addressing this issue.