Air Quality Draft Action Plan - Local Air Quality Management 2025
In fulfilment of Part IV of the Environment Act 1995. The Local Air Quality Management 2025 - 2030.
You can download a copy of the Air Quality Action Plan (PDF, 8 MB) or view the page below.
On this page
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Summary of Current Air Quality in Preston
- Preston City Council's Air Quality Priorities
- Development and Implementation of Preston City Council AQAP
- AQAP Measures
- Cost Effectiveness of AQAP Actions
- Appendix A - Response to Consultation
- Appendix B - Reasons for Not Pursuing Action Plan Measures
- Appendix C - Source Apportionment Methodology
- Glossary of Terms
Executive Summary
This Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) has been produced as part of our statutory duties required by the Local Air Quality Management framework. It outlines the action we will take to improve air quality in Preston between 2025-2030.
This action plan replaces the previous action plan which was adopted in 2014.
Projects delivered through the previous action plan include:
- Incorporating requirements for electric vehicle charging points into the planning system;
- Completing the construction of Broughton Bypass to relocate traffic flows to less congested roads;
- Infrastructure improvements on New Hall Lane to increase the distance between pollutant sources and receptors; and
- Completing the construction of Preston Western distributor road.
Air pollution is associated with a number of adverse health impacts. It is recognised as a contributing factor in the onset of heart disease and cancer. Additionally, air pollution particularly affects the most vulnerable in society: children and older people, and those with heart and lung conditions. There is also often a strong correlation with equalities issues, because areas with poor air quality are also often the less affluent areas[1] [2].
The annual health cost to society of the impacts of particulate matter alone in the UK is estimated to be around £16 billion.[3] ]
Preston City Council is committed to reducing the exposure of people in Preston to poor air quality to improve health.
[1] Environmental equity, air quality, socioeconomic status and respiratory health, 2010
[2] Air quality and social deprivation in the UK: an environmental inequalities analysis, 2006
[3] Defra. Abatement cost guidance for valuing changes in air quality, May 2013
We have developed actions that can be considered under five broad topics:
- Policy guidance and development control;
- Promoting low emission transport;
- Public information;
- Transport planning and infrastructure; and
- Traffic management.
Our priorities are to encourage modal shift away from private vehicle use and towards active travel / public transport alternatives, with remaining vehicle trips to be via electric vehicles where possible; increase collaboration across Councils on policy development; and aim to reduce concentrations, especially PM10 and PM2.5, below legal limits.
In this AQAP we outline how we plan to effectively tackle air quality issues within our control. However, we recognise that there are a large number of air quality policy areas that are outside of our influence (such as vehicle emissions standards agreed in Europe), but for which we may have useful evidence, and so we will continue to work with regional and central government on policies and issues beyond Preston City Council's direct influence.
Responsibilities and Commitment
This AQAP was prepared by Air Quality Consultants Ltd and the Environmental Health Department of Preston City Council with the support and agreement of the following officers and departments:
- Planning Officers at Preston City Council
- Engineering and Riverway Officer at Preston City Council
- Development Control Officer at Preston City Council
- Climate Change Officer at Preston City Council
- Transport Planner at Lancashire County Council
- Transport Planner (specifically for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure) at Lancashire County Council
- Public Transport Manager at Lancashire County Council
- Public Health Practitioner at Lancashire County Council
- Sustainable Travel Manager (walking and cycling) at Lancashire County Council; and
- Planning and Transport Advisor at Lancashire County Council.
This AQAP will be approved by Cabinet.
This AQAP will be formally reviewed and republished on a five-yearly cycle from date of initial publication. Progress each year will be reported in the Annual Status Reports (ASRs) produced by Preston City Council, as part of our statutory Local Air Quality Management duties.
If you have any comments on this AQAP, please send them to the Council's Environmental Health Department at:
- Town Hall, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 2RL
- Telephone - 01772 906154
- Email - EHEnvironmentalProtection@preston.gov.uk
1. Introduction
This report outlines the actions that Preston City Council will deliver between 2025 and 2030 in order to reduce concentrations of air pollutants and exposure to air pollution; thereby positively impacting on the health and quality of life of residents and visitors to Preston.
It has been developed in recognition of the legal requirement on the local authority to work towards Air Quality Strategy (AQS) objectives under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 and relevant regulations made under that part and to meet the requirements of the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) statutory process.
This Plan will be reviewed every five years at the latest and progress on measures set out within this Plan will be reported on annually within Preston City Council's Annual Status Reports (ASRs).
2. Summary of Current Air Quality in Preston
A full summary of current air quality in Preston is provided in the 2023 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR).
No exceedances of the nitrogen dioxide or particulate matter objectives were recorded at any monitoring locations in 2022; the last recorded exceedance of the annual mean nitrogen dioxide objective of 40 µg/m3 was in AQMA 4 in 2019.
In relation to trends, there has been an overall decline in concentrations since 2017, with particularly low concentrations in 2020 and 2021, reflecting reduced vehicle use in years affected by Covid restrictions.
The 2023 ASR concluded that AQMAs 1, 3 and 5 should be revoked due to successive years of monitored concentrations well below the relevant objectives. This Air Quality Action Plan therefore focuses on AQMAs 2 and 4, where only the annual mean nitrogen dioxide objective is at risk of being exceeded.
The location of AQMAs 2 and 4 are shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, respectively. The Action Plan includes actions that will improve air quality generally as well as those that are targeted on the AQMAs.
Figure 1 - AQMA 2 (Blackpool Road and Plungington Road junction) - Location and Monitoring Sites
Figure 2 - AQMA 4 (New Hall Lane) - Location and Monitoring Sites
Figure 3 and Figure 4 show measured concentrations in AQMA 2 and AQMA 4, respectively, from 2017 to 2022 (the most recent year of published data at time of writing).
AQMA 2 has had no exceedances of the objectives for the last five years, with the highest value of 37.1 µg/m3 recorded at monitoring site PR5 in 2019, compared to a value of 29 µg/m3 measured at the same site in 2022.
The last recorded exceedance of the objective in AQMA 4 was at monitoring site PR39 (42.2 µg/m3) in 2019. However, concentrations have since reduced substantially, and the maximum concentration in 2022 was also recorded at PR39, but was well below the objective (33 µg/m3).
Both AQMAs are currently being retained because there has not been 3 years below 90% of the objective level (36 µg/m3) outside of years affected by Covid, in line with LAQM.TG(22).
If measured concentrations in 2023 and 2024 remain below 36 µg/m3, the AQMAs will be revoked in 2025.
Figure 3 - Measured Annual Mean Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations AQMA 2
Figure 4 - Measured Annual Mean Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations AQMA 4
3. Preston City Council's Air Quality Priorities
The priority for this revised AQAP is meeting the statutory air quality objectives, but also, where practicable and feasible, to continue to reduce local air pollutant emissions across the city.
3.1. Public Health Context
Air pollution is a major public health risk ranking alongside cancer, heart disease and obesity.
A review by the World Health Organisation concluded that long-term exposure to air pollution reduces life expectancy by increasing the incidence of lung, heart and circulatory conditions.
The Department of Health and Social Care's advisory Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) has estimated that long-term exposure to man-made air pollution in the UK has an annual impact on shortening lifespans, equivalent to 28,000 to 36,000 deaths. Poor air quality can affect health at all stages of life.
Those most affected are the young and old. In the womb, maternal exposure to air pollution can result in low birth weight, premature birth, stillbirth or organ damage. In children, there is evidence of reduced lung capacity, while impacts in adulthood can include diabetes, heart disease and stroke. In old age, a lifetime of exposure to air pollution can result in reduced life-expectancy and reduced wellbeing at end of life. There is also emerging evidence for a link between air pollution and an acceleration of the decline in cognitive function.
Poor air quality disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities including children. Public health not only aims to improve health, but also reduce health inequalities by using an evidence-based approach to make recommendations on the delivery of health and wellbeing services. As such, this AQAP will support work underway within the public health arena.
As detailed in Policy Guidance LAQM.PG22 (Chapter 8), local authorities are expected to work towards reducing emissions and/or concentrations of PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5µm or less). There is clear evidence that PM2.5 has a significant impact on human health, including premature mortality, allergic reactions, and cardiovascular diseases.
In Lancashire the strongest evidence we have on the population health impacts of air pollution comes from Public Health England's Public Health Outcomes Framework. This Framework estimates the 'fraction of annual all cause adult mortality attributable to particulate air pollution (measured as fine particulate matter, PM2.5)'.
It shows that, while the overall mortality rate from particulate air pollution in Lancashire in 2022 (5.1%) is lower than the England average (5.8%), air pollution remains a significant public health issue for the county.
3.2. Planning and Policy Context
3.2.1. Central Lancashire Core Strategy
The existing Central Lancashire Core Strategy was adopted in July 2012 and includes Policy 30 on Air Quality, which aims to:
"Improve air quality through delivery of Green Infrastructure initiatives and through taking account of air quality when prioritising measures to reduce road traffic congestion."
The existing strategy is currently in the process of being updated and it is anticipated that there will be a policy section relating to air quality in the next Core Strategy.
3.2.2. Lancashire County Council
Working with district councils, Lancashire County Council (LCC) has an important role to play in taking action to reduce the health impacts of air pollution.
Responsible for transport planning, network management, highway maintenance, public health and procuring local vehicle fleets, there are a number of ways LCC can support local and county wide efforts to improve air quality.
The LCC Highways and Transport Strategy provides a high level view of how LCC will deliver their highways and transport responsibilities between 2023 and 2025. The public transport and active travel objectives will help to improve air quality by reducing car travel. Cycling in Lancashire is below the national average, but is increasing.
In summary, the following activities are underway or in development:
Encouraging the use of sustainable forms of travel
Lancashire's cycling and walking strategy, Actively Moving Forward, sets out an ambitious plan for increasing the number of people walking and cycling in the county by 2028. By improving and increasing access to cycling and walking infrastructure, alongside training and promotional activities, it aims to significantly increase the amount of cycling and walking people do across the county.
Information on the LCC's ongoing activities in this area can be found on the Active Travel in Lancashire website.
As part of Lancashire's cycling and walking strategy, work has commenced on developing Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for Lancashire.
LCWIP's have been defined for seven areas across Lancashire. These are:
- Lancaster
- Central Lancashire
- West Lancashire
- Fylde Coast
- Ribble Valley
- Burnley and Pendle
- Rossendale and Hyndburn.
As part of the LCWIP process extensive public and stakeholder engagement has been undertaken.
The Plans will include a network plan for cycling and walking infrastructure and a prioritised list of schemes for delivery over short, medium and long term timeframes. These plans will be used to support future infrastructure decisions and to access new funding schemes as they become available.
The Road Safety Team work with schools, workplaces, and the community to encourage safe and sustainable modes of travel. Initiatives for schools are promoted though the Safer Travel website and include: a series of cycling and walking safety training programmes; guidance and resources for teachers to encourage safe and active travel; and support for creating travel plans.
Bus services across Lancashire operate in a deregulated market, meaning the County Council does not control the bus network, franchise routes or control fares. In the next three years, the County Council will continue to work more closely with bus operators, alongside local communities, to create a network that people want and will use.
The council has published a ten-year Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme alongside its Bus Service Improvement Plan which together will deliver measures to restore confidence and grow patronage numbers.
Supporting the transition to low emission vehicles
LCC, working with BP Pulse, has installed 150 Electric Vehicle charge points either at the side of the adopted highway or in County Council carparks. These charge points are ultra-chargers which will allow most vehicles to take a full charge in less than an hour and fast chargers that will take around three hours to charge the vehicles.
The mix of these units depends on location, power supply, and demand.
Since the installation of these points the focus has been on supporting residents who do not have off-street parking to charge at home, with the County Council trialling an innovative footway cable tray which will provide a low cost and practical solution to support residents without off street parking to charge at home.
The cable-tray enables residents to safely pass an electric cable across the footway from their property to the carriageway enabling charging their vehicle from their domestic supply. Two products (one designed in-house and one adapted product) have been trialled at several residential properties in the county.
The County Council is one of 16 councils in England to secure funding from the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) extended pilot scheme to expand this trial to more residents and to trial lamp post integrated charge points in residential areas, helping those that do not have access to off-street parking.
In addition to the LEVI extended pilot the County Council has been allocated indicative funding of £10.1m from the LEVI capital fund for the provision of local, low power, public on-street charging infrastructure. This will help us scale up the deployment of local charge points and solutions for residents without access to off-street parking beyond the pilot projects and deliver the vision and aims of the Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen EV Infrastructure Strategy.
The County Council's parking services fleet is now fully electric, with charging infrastructure installed at the offices and depots where the vehicles are based, and regularly visit.
Fleet services are continuing to deliver their programme to upgrade to ultra-low emission vehicles.
Creating cleaner, healthier road networks
Work to develop the next Local Transport Plan (LTP4) for Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen is underway.
The Public Health team has submitted an evidence base to inform the process, highlighting transport related health challenges affecting the population of Lancashire and making recommendations about how local transport planning policy can make a contribution to addressing these.
The local Highways and Transport Masterplans will be refreshed to align with the priorities of LTP4. This will provide an opportunity to identify longer-term network solutions that address issues in AQMAs and have a positive impact on air quality generally.
Embedding air quality into policy
The County Council works with district planners to ensure air quality is a key consideration of Local Plans, alongside wider public health issues. It supports district councils in developing policies that seek to ensure new developments do not contribute to increasing levels of air pollutants and that requirements for appropriate mitigation are in place.
The County Council, as part of its highways input into planning applications, actively encourages measures that aim to promote sustainable forms of travel.
Working under the direction of the National Planning Policy Framework, the County Council seeks measures that facilitate cycling and walking, increase the use of public transport and provide access to electric vehicle charge points.
The County Council also seeks funding from developers, through section 106 contributions, to support existing bus services or to provide new bus services suitable to serve development sites once they are built.
Raising awareness and increasing engagement
The Lancashire Insight website provides information on the sources and health impacts of air pollution across the county. Web pages include a Summary of Emissions Data and Monitoring of Air Quality and Health Impacts.
3.2.1. Preston City Transport Plan
Policy 12 in the Preston City Transport Plan 2019 aims to revoke all AQMAs by 2028 through investment in non-car transport modes to offer greater choice and by reducing the impact of existing vehicle transport. This will be achieved through reducing congestion and promoting walking and cycling.
Policy 13 focuses on ensuring new development is granted with appropriate EV charging technology through the provision of standards for new homes and wider development. An assessment of the local power network is required to ensure the capacity of infrastructure is sufficient to cope with an increase in the demand for electrical power.
3.2.2. Preston Local Plan
Preston's existing Local Plan (2012-26) will soon be updated to reflect the policy areas updated in the Central Lancashire Core Strategy.
3.3. Source Apportionment
The AQAP measures presented in this report are intended to be targeted towards the predominant sources of emissions within Preston City Council's area. To determine which areas to target, a source apportionment exercise was undertaken.
The methodology used to inform this section is presented in Appendix C.
Figure 5 shows the split between contributions from the regional background, local background, and local road components to NO2 concentrations at monitoring sites in AQMAs 2 and 4 in 2022.
The local road contribution is the largest component (approximately 55%), followed by the local background (approximately 35%), and the regional background (approximately 10%). It is therefore clear that road traffic within the AQMAs is the largest contributor to NO2 concentrations at these monitoring sites.
Figure 5 - Source Apportionment of Measured Concentrations in 2022 in AQMA 2 and AQMA 4
To further understand the predominant sources of emissions, Figure 6 shows the vehicle types contributing to NOx emissions within each AQMA.
In both AQMAs, the majority of NOx emissions are from diesel cars and diesel light goods vehicles (LGVs). Additionally, in AQMA 4 there is a higher proportion of emissions from buses and coaches (19%) than in AQMA 2 (8%).
Figure 6 - Source Apportionment of NOx Emissions from Road Transport in AQMA 2 and AQMA 4
3.3.1. Required Reduction in Emissions
As the Air Quality Objectives are currently being met in Preston, there is no specific reduction in emissions required. However, although compliance with air quality objectives is important, from a health perspective, a general reduction in emissions of the key pollutants (including PM10 and PM2.5) may provide better health outcomes than focussing on hotspot locations.
For this reason, wider, more strategic measures have been included and Preston City Council will be working towards reducing concentrations below current air quality objectives.
3.4. Key Priorities
Based on the source apportionment outlined above, and the fact that the objectives have been achieved at all sites of relevant exposure since 2019, the following priorities are proportionate and will ensure that transport related emissions are reduced.
- Priority 1 - encourage modal shift away from private vehicle use and towards active travel / public transport alternatives, with remaining vehicle trips to be via electric vehicles where possible;
- Priority 2 - increase collaboration across PCC and LCC departments on strategic policy development; and
- Priority 3 - continue to reduce concentrations, especially PM10 and PM2.5, below legal limits by targeting non-road sources in the Preston area.
4. Development and Implementation of Preston City Council AQAP
4.1. Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement
In developing/updating this AQAP, we have worked with other local authorities, agencies, businesses and the local community to improve local air quality.
Schedule 11 of the Environment Act 1995 requires local authorities to consult the bodies listed in Table 1.
A period of consultation and engagement will be undertaken following this report being taken to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulation.
The AQAP will be made available on the consultation pages of the PCC website, with the consultation advertised through various social media channels and directly to consultees. The consultees identified below will be directly contacted.
The response to our consultation stakeholder engagement is given in Appendix A: Response to Consultation.
Table 1 ‒ Consultation Undertaken
Consultee | Consultation Undertaken |
|---|---|
| The Secretary of State | Yes, will be sent link to draft report |
| The Environment Agency | Yes, will be sent link to draft report |
| The highways authority | Yes, will be sent link to draft report |
| All neighbouring local authorities | Yes, will be sent link to draft report |
| Other public authorities as appropriate, such as Public Health officials | Yes, will be sent link to draft report |
| Bodies representing local business interests and other organisations as appropriate | Yes, will be sent link to draft report |
4.2. Steering Group
The AQAP was taken forward through an Air Quality Steering Group. Prior to consultation, two Steering Group meetings were held (12 April and 7 June 2024), which involved the collaboration of officers across PCC and LCC in different disciplines.
A third meeting of the Steering Group will be held after the consultation period to review any comments received.
The Steering Group was made up of the following members:
- Head of Environmental Health at Preston City Council
- Planning Officers at Preston City Council
- Engineering and Riverway Officer at Preston City Council
- Development Control Officer at Preston City Council
- Climate Change Officer at Preston City Council
- Transport Planner at Lancashire County Council
- Transport Planner (specifically for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure) at Lancashire County Council
- Public Transport Manager at Lancashire County Council
- Public Health Practitioner at Lancashire County Council
- Sustainable Travel Manager (walking and cycling) at Lancashire County Council; and
- Planning and Transport Advisor at Lancashire County Council.
The meetings have involved;
- setting out the background to the air quality issue in Preston;
- the process of the AQAP;
- previous work undertaken on air quality and gaining input and insight into existing and future policy measures within Preston; and
- how these may assist in the implementation of the aims of this Plan (and vice versa).
Discussions have focused on each of the categories of actions and sought updates on current actions and new actions were also discussed.
The Steering Group will continue to be fully involved, and consulted on as the process continues.
Separate meetings were held where required, for example if a particular stakeholder could not attend the main meeting, or where additional detail on measures needed to be discussed.
5. AQAP Measures
Table 2 shows the Preston City Council AQAP measures.
It contains:
- a list of the actions that form part of the plan
- the responsible individual and departments/organisations who will deliver this action
- estimated cost of implementing each action (overall cost and cost to the local authority)
- expected benefit in terms of pollutant emission and/or concentration reduction
- the timescale for implementation
- how progress will be monitored
NB: Please see future ASRs for regular annual updates on implementation of these measures.
Table 2 ‒ Air Quality Action Plan Measures
View the Air Quality Action Plan Measures
6. Cost Effectiveness of AQAP Actions
Defra does not expect authorities to undertake detailed cost-benefit analyses in their AQAPs. Most of the measures set out in Table 2 are difficult to quantify. This is because the traffic impact of measures is difficult to quantify in relation to changes in traffic numbers, or fleet composition, or in some cases the measure might be designed to reduce stop start traffic, or reduce idling, which cannot be easily quantified.
Some measures do not have a direct influence on air quality emissions (such as those aimed at reducing exposure), and some are designed to encourage behaviour change to that of lower emissions, which again can be difficult to quantify. A summary of the consideration of the impact of the measures, and whether they can be quantified is set out in Table 3 below, with the criteria used as follows:
Impact: Very Low
No indirect or direct impacts on air quality.
Low
Would reduce emissions, but not measurable by air quality monitoring and would be termed 'negligible' using industry standard guidance for modelling the impacts of developments.
Medium
A change could be detected using an air quality model such as ADMS, but unlikely to be measurable by air quality monitoring, for example an improvement of up to 5% of the annual mean objective for NO2 (2 µg/m3).
High
A change could potentially be monitored using standard monitoring techniques, i.e. an improvement of more than 5% of the annual mean objective for NO2 (2 µg/m3). It should be noted that the impact is largely based on NO2.
Table 3 - Assumptions Related to Air Quality Impact in AQMAs
No. | Measure | Assumptions for Quantification | Assumed Air Quality Impact in AQMAs |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (Lancashire-wide) | Difficult to quantify as it is currently with LCC to prioritise locations where Plans will be implemented. Any modal shift away from private vehicles to active travel alternatives will remove vehicles from the road network and therefore reduce emissions, but it is not possible to know where these changes are likely to happen. | Low |
2 | Construction of Cottam Park Way rail station | It is anticipated behavioural change away from private vehicle trips and towards using public transport (rail) to access Preston will reduce traffic and emissions more broadly. However, the impact on the AQMAs is likely to be small from this individual measure. | Low |
3 | New Public Transport priority corridors along 7 routes into Preston | Increased public transport usage should remove private vehicle trips from the road network and reduce congestion at junctions, thereby reducing emissions directly and indirectly. A bus lane and junction improvements are planned along New Hall Lane (AQMA 4), which is anticipated to reduce total traffic flow by encouraging modal shift to public transport, and reduce stop-start emissions by improving junction efficiency. | Medium |
4 | Installation of fast and rapid Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points within the City | If all diesel cars were replaced with electric cars, this would reduce NOx emissions in AQMA 2 by 53% and AQMA 4 by 51% (see Figure 6). While replacement of all diesel cars with electric alternatives within the timespan of this Plan is not feasible, the provision of EV infrastructure enables the long-term shift to low emission (NOx) vehicles. | Medium |
5 | Support LCC's ambition to install low powered, local EV charge points across Preston | If all diesel cars were replaced with electric cars, this would reduce NOx emissions in AQMA 2 by 53% and AQMA 4 by 51% (see Figure 6). While replacement of all diesel cars with electric alternatives within the timespan of this Plan is not feasible, the provision of EV infrastructure enables the long-term shift to low emission (NOx) vehicles. | Medium |
6 | Review the taxi licensing policy to encourage the uptake of cleaner vehicles | The age and condition of the taxi fleet is currently unknown. By incorporating emissions standards into licensing conditions, this will ensure continued improvement in the fleet. | Low |
7 | Transforming Cities Funding for smarter travel solutions is being implemented in a Proof of Concept scheme on the London Rd Corridor. Microsimulation traffic models linked to real time traffic information allow intelligent traffic management. | Smart travel solutions are anticipated to improve the reliability of the bus service and therefore encourage modal shift from passenger cars to public transport. Additionally, intelligent traffic management is anticipated to help smooth traffic, and therefore reduce congestion and emissions associated with stop/start driving. While this is a relatively localised measure, the London Rd Corridor is adjacent to New Hall Lane (AQMA 4), and there may therefore be wider effects on this AQMA. | Low |
8 | Integration of air quality sensors into the London Rd Corridor Microsimulation management system | Study based in Oxford claims to have improved concentrations by approximately 20% (unpublished data). Reductions are likely to be highly location-specific and therefore difficult to quantify for Preston. | Low |
9 | Liaise with LCC on the development of LTP4 and support the inclusion of policies which will improve air quality in Preston | Changes to road transport associated with LTP4 will be broader than just Preston, and certainly broader than just the road traffic associated with AQMAs 2 and 4. While the overarching policy should drive long-term change towards public transport, active travel, and low emission transport, the impact within the AQMAs in the short-term is difficult to quantify. | Low |
10 | Collaborate with planning colleagues within PCC, South Ribble Council, and Chorley Council on the development of the next Central Lancashire Core Strategy and support the inclusion of relevant policies to improve air quality | As above, changes to road transport associated with the Core Strategy will be broader than just Preston, and certainly broader than just the road traffic associated with AQMAs 2 and 4. While the overarching policy should drive long-term change towards public transport, active travel, and low emission transport, the impact within the AQMAs in the short-term is difficult to quantify. | Low |
11 | Review existing planning application validation checklist for air quality. Once Core Strategy has been adopted, consider producing a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as a guide for developers to submit planning applications to account for air quality | Unable to be quantified as impacts on traffic and other sources of pollutants as domestic emissions unknown at this stage but has the potential to effect relatively large air quality improvements over longer timescales. For example, if significant modal shift to active travel, or an increase in renewable energy is achieved, this will have corresponding benefits in local air pollutant emissions. The amount of pollutant emissions that can be reduced will depend on the size and type of the development and how much of a focus is given to emissions reduction beyond present policy. | Low to Medium |
12 | Review current extent of Preston's Smoke Control Area and consider extending to cover whole City region | Will not have any impact on NOx, but could potentially reduce PM2.5 if accompanied by information campaign and resulting behaviour change (reduction in wood burning/ switch to seasoned wood) | Low to Medium (PM2.5) |
13 | Conduct a local survey into solid fuel burning behaviours to help target public information campaigns and emission reduction strategies | While the survey itself won't reduce emissions, by understanding who, where, and how people are burning solid fuels will help target future policy. | None |
14 | Devise communication plan to improve public awareness of Preston's Smoke Control Area and, more broadly, the Domestic Solid Fuel Regulations. | Will not have any impact on NOx, but could potentially reduce PM2.5 by encouraging better burning practices, and reduce burning frequency by those who use solid fuel as a secondary heating source. | Low to Medium (PM2.5) |
15 | Upgrade the Council's vehicle fleet to at least Euro 6 | Will reduced the exhaust emissions of NOx from the Council's own fleet. While this directly reduces emissions, the contribution of the Council's fleet to NOx emissions within the AQMA is likely to be limited. | Low |
In order to provide an indication of cost effectiveness, Table 4 has been determined using best professional judgement to clearly set out impact from Table 3 above (i.e., effectiveness) and cost in a qualitative way.
Although the impacts for many of the actions is judged to be low individually, as a package, and over a number of years, the impacts of the measures will cumulatively be much larger.
The analysis also accounts for the feasibility of implementing the measures, with those likely to progress given a higher priority than those which are acknowledged to be a challenge to implement.
The feasibility score factors in influences such as accessibility to funding, resources being available and political backing.
Criteria to allow for the analysis of cost and feasibility are included below.
Cost
- Low- < £50K;
- Medium - £50K - £500K;
- High- >£500K
Feasibility
- Low - difficult to implement, lack of political will to implement, time and resource intensive.
- Medium - possible to implement, but may require some further feasibility work, and/ or additional support and resources.
- High - measure has already been started, good political will and likely to be sufficient resources.
Table 4 - Cost Effectiveness of AQAP Measures
No. | Measure | Impact on Air Quality | Cost | Feasibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (Lancashire-wide) | Low | High | High |
2 | Construction of Cottam Park Way rail station | Low | High | Medium |
3 | New Public Transport priority corridors along 7 routes into Preston | Medium | High | High |
4 | Installation of fast and rapid Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points within the City | Medium | High | Medium |
5 | Support LCC's ambition to install low powered, local EV charge points across Preston | Medium | High | High |
6 | Review all taxi vehicle licensing conditions to encourage the uptake of cleaner vehicles | Low | Low | Medium |
7 | Transforming Cities Funding for smarter travel solutions is being implemented in a Proof of Concept scheme on the London Rd Corridor. Microsimulation traffic models linked to real time traffic information allow intelligent traffic management. | Low | Medium | High |
8 | Integration of air quality sensors into the London Rd Corridor Microsimulation management system | Low | Medium | Low |
9 | Liaise with LCC on the development of LTP4 and support the inclusion of policies which will improve air quality in Preston | Low | Low | High |
10 | Collaborate with planning colleagues within PCC, South Ribble Council, and Chorley Council on the development of the next Central Lancashire Core Strategy and support the inclusion of relevant policies to improve air quality. | Low | Low | High |
11 | Review existing planning application validation checklist for air quality. Once Core Strategy has been adopted, consider producing a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as a guide for developers to submit planning applications to account for air quality. | Low to Medium | Low | Medium |
12 | Review current extent of Preston's Smoke Control Area and consider extending to cover whole City region | Low to Medium (PM2.5) | Low | Medium |
13 | Conduct a local survey into solid fuel burning behaviours to help target public information campaigns and emission reduction strategies. | None | Low | Low |
14 | Devise communication plan to improve public awareness of Preston's Smoke Control Area and, more broadly, the Domestic Solid Fuel Regulations. | Low to Medium (PM2.5) | Low | Medium |
15 | Upgrade the Council's vehicle fleet to at least Euro 6 | Low | High | High |
Appendix A - Response to Consultation
Table A1 - Summary of Responses to Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement on the AQAP
| Consultee | Category | Response |
|---|---|---|
| To be completed following consultation | ||
Appendix B - Reasons for Not Pursuing Action Plan Measures
Table B1 - Action Plan Measures Not Pursued and the Reasons for that Decision
Action category | Action description | Reason action is not being pursued (including Stakeholder views) |
|---|---|---|
Environmental Permits | Industrial permitting process | Not sufficient sources in Preston to require a specific action in this AQAP |
Freight and Delivery Management | Delivery and Service plans / Freight Consolidation Centre / Freight Partnerships for city centre deliveries / Quiet and out of hours delivery / Route Management Plans / Strategic Routing for HGVs. | Freight will be considered as part of LTP4, which will include input on air quality under action 9. The source apportionment undertaken for this plan shows that HGVs only contribute approximately 10% of NOx emissions in the AQMAs, and are therefore not the main focus of the plan. |
Promoting Low Emission Plant | Emission control equipment for small and medium sized stationary combustion sources / replacement of combustion sources / Low Emission Fuels for stationary and mobile sources in Public Procurement / Other measure for low emission fuels for stationary and mobile sources / Public Procurement of stationary combustion sources / Regulations for fuel quality for low emission fuels for stationary and mobile sources / Shift to installations using low emission fuels for stationary and mobile sources | Not sufficient sources in Preston to require a specific action in this AQAP. Large developments are already required to submit a Construction Environmental Management Plan, which should outline low-emission non-road mobile machinery to be used. |
Vehicle Fleet Efficiency | Driver training and ECO driving aids / Fleet efficiency and recognition schemes / Promoting Low Emission Public Transport / Testing Vehicle Emissions / Vehicle Retrofitting programmes | The Council's own vehicle fleet has already been upgraded to Euro 6 (action 15). Limited funding available to upgrade further to electric vehicles. The taxi fleet in Preston will also be reviewed as part of action 6. |
Appendix C - Source Apportionment Methodology
The methodology used to determine the source apportionment of NO2 concentrations in Preston's AQMAs (see section 3.3) used the methodology as set out in LAQM Technical Guidance (TG22), Box 7-5.
Step 1
Determine the total background NO2 (TB-NO2), total background NOx (TB-NOx), and regional background NOx (RB-NOx) from the national maps of background annual mean concentrations.
Derive the local background NOx (LB-NOx) by subtracting RB-NOx from TB-NOx.
The outputs from Step 1 are summarised in Table 5.
Table 5 Source Apportionment - Step 1
AQMA | Monitoring Site | TB-NO2 (µg/m3) | TB-NOx (µg/m3) | RB-NOx (µg/m3) | LB-NOx (µg/m3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | PR5 |
11.65 |
15.46 |
4.03 |
11.43 |
PR6 | |||||
PR7 | |||||
PR8 | |||||
4 | PR39 |
12.84 a |
17.24 a |
3.98 a |
13.26 |
| PR40 | |||||
| PR41 | |||||
| PR42 |
a Monitoring sites fell across two grid squares, so the average has been calculated.
Step 2
Apportion the total background NO2 into regional and local components using the regional and local NOx proportions.
The outputs from Step 2 are summarised in Table 6.
Table 6 Source Apportionment - Step 2
AQMA | Monitoring Site | TB-NO2 (µg/m3) | RB-NOx / TB-NOx | LB-NOx / TB-NOx | RB-NO2 (µg/m3) | LB-NO2 (µg/m3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | PR5 | 11.65 | 0.26 | 0.74 | 3.04 | 8.61 |
PR6 | ||||||
PR7 | ||||||
PR8 | ||||||
4 | PR39 |
12.84
|
0.23
|
0.77
|
2.96
|
9.87 |
| PR40 | ||||||
| PR41 | ||||||
| PR42 |
Step 3
Calculate the local NO2 contribution (L-NO2) from the total measured (T-NO2) minus the background (TB-NO2).
The outputs from this are summarised and presented in Figure 5.
Table 7 Source Apportionment - Step 3
AQMA | Monitoring Site | T-NO2 (µg/m3) | TB-NO2 (µg/m3) | L-NO2 (µg/m3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | PR5 | 29 | 11.65 | 17.35 |
PR6 | 28 | 11.65 | 16.35 | |
PR7 | 25 | 11.65 | 13.35 | |
PR8 | 26 | 11.65 | 14.35 | |
4 | PR39 | 33 | 12.84 | 20.17 |
PR40 | 32 | 12.84 | 19.17 | |
PR41 | 25 | 12.84 | 12.17 | |
PR42 | 26 | 12.84 | 13.17 |
Step 4
Apportion the local contributions (L-NO2) to total NO2 using emission results for NOx.
Traffic data for relevant road links within, or within close proximity to, the AQMAs were provided by the Planning and Environment department at LCC.
Classified turning counts were recorded in 2022 (Plungington Road/A5085 Blackpool Road - AQMA 2) and 2023 (A6 Stanley Street/A59 New Hall Lane/A6 London Road - AQMA 4).
The vehicle fleet proportions are presented in Table 8.
Table 8 Fleet breakdown in AQMAs used for source apportionment
Vehicle Type | AQMA2 (%) a | AQMA4 (%) |
|---|---|---|
Car | 84.7 | 86.2 |
LGV | 11.5 | 8.2 |
Rigid HGV | 1.9 | 1.5 |
Artic HGV | 0.5 | 0.7 |
Bus and Coach | 1.0 | 2.7 |
Motorcycle | 0.3 | 0.7 |
a Presented to 1 decimal place; rounding to this level of precision may not total 100% as presented in this table.
The fleet breakdown was entered into the Emission Factor Toolkit (v12.0) and used to calculate the percentage NOX contribution from each source.
The outputs from this are summarised in Figure 6.
Glossary of Terms
Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|
AQAP | Air Quality Action Plan - A detailed description of measures, outcomes, achievement dates and implementation methods, showing how the local authority intends to achieve air quality limit values' |
AQMA | Air Quality Management Area - An area where air pollutant concentrations exceed / are likely to exceed the relevant air quality objectives. AQMAs are declared for specific pollutants and objectives |
ASR | Air quality Annual Status Report |
Defra | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
LAQM | Local Air Quality Management |
LCC | Lancashire County Council |
PCC | Preston City Council |
NO2 | Nitrogen Dioxide |
NOx | Nitrogen Oxides |
PM10 | Airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10µm (micrometres or microns) or less |
PM2.5 | Airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5µm or less |
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