Question
What action has been taken so far with regards to implementing PM 2.5 monitoring across the Borough following the air pollution motion that this Council passed earlier this year?
Minutes:
Question
What action has been taken so far with regards to implementing PM 2.5 monitoring across the Borough following the air pollution motion that this Council passed earlier this year?
Answer
I am very pleased to say that since passing this Motion the Council has been successful in securing funding from DEFRA to pay for an Eco Travel Officer whose responsibilities will include promoting sustainable transport, reducing NO2 levels, improving air quality, and continuing our proactive work in developing our action plans for Air Quality Management areas.
The Council is also preparing to roll out its plan for non-idling zones across the Borough. You may have already seen the results of the school’s poster competition, which are currently being positioned in the highest effected areas of our road network.
Since passing the PM 2.5 Motion we have been working towards to understand how better to monitor levels of particulate matter across the Borough. We believe that Reference Equivalent Monitors are the best solution to ongoing monitoring. It is our intention to install these in our Air Quality Management areas in Peach Street and in the Twyford Crossroads.
We are also considering where additional indicative monitors should be installed in other areas of the Borough. Likely areas would be around the Air Quality Management areas and in other areas where the DEFRA predicted maps predicted that PM 2.5 levels could be highest. A bid has been submitted through the 2021/22 MTFP to fund this monitoring equipment.
In addition to this, you should you also be aware that the Council is currently rolling out technology upgrades through its highways ITS project to deliver intelligent signalisation that can both reduce congestion and improve air quality.
Finally, I am pleased to confirm our involvement in the University of Reading Adept Live Lab programme that will see the adoption of digital technologies across Berkshire’s highways network. 30 additional air sensors are being installed by the University of Reading to monitor how smarter traffic management could improve air quality. The results of this should also help create a dynamic Public Health tool that will enable us and our neighbouring authorities to make better traffic management decisions and air pollution interventions. I believe that this is a significant level of progress in the short time period since the Motion was passed.
Supplementary Question:
Can you confirm that once the monitoring starts should levels of PM 2.5 in any place in the Borough be in excess of the World Health Organisation recommended maximum level of 10 micrograms per cubic metre, urgent action will be taken to reduce it to below that level?
Supplementary Answer:
To be honest we have not discussed yet, local air pollution targets. Personally, I want to see and understand what the situation with PM 2.5 and other air pollutants are across the Borough so that we can take action in the highest zones that we have. We need to set local air quality targets, I completely agree with you on that, but what those should be at the moment we have not discussed. I am open to a conversation in terms of what those should be and how we progress to much more stringent targets locally.