Cabinet updated on Air Quality Action Plan for Park Street
Poster information
Posted on: Tuesday 08 March 2022
Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet have been updated on the draft Air Quality Action Plan for the Park Street Air Quality Management Area.
A report presented to Cabinet in November 2021 confirmed that, in general, air quality within Bridgend County Borough continues to meet Welsh Government objectives.
However, Park Street in Bridgend remained a concern with monitoring at sites located along the street showing average levels of nitrogen dioxide continuing to exceed the annual average air quality objective.
The local authority has been working with Shared Regulatory Services (SRS) on an action plan to improve air quality in the area with detailed modelling of proposed mitigation options having now been completed.
These options include the introduction of a right-turn holding lane at the junction of Park Street with Heol y Nant – a measure implemented already following the development of the former Ysgol Bryn Castell site. Other options include denying all access onto St Leonards Road from Park Street and optimising the Park Street/Angel Street/Tondu Road junction.
Modelling of the right-turn holding lane demonstrated reductions in congestion on Park Street from vehicles turning right onto Heol-y-Nant and provides an improvement in nitrogen dioxide concentrations on Park Street when compared with 2019.
Further results of air quality modelling indicate that, if these measures are implemented, compliance with the annual average air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide at existing monitoring locations could be achieved by the end of 2023.
The modelling has demonstrated the potential benefits of implementing the suggested mitigation options in order to meet air quality objectives on Park Street as set out by Welsh Government.
A draft plan will now be amended to reflect the outcomes of the modelling before it is made subject of a public consultation after the May 2022 local government election, giving residents the opportunity to have their say on plans for air quality improvements in the area.
Councillor Dhanisha Patel, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations
For any comments or queries in relation to air quality, please contact SRS by emailing AirQuality-SRSWales@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk.