Council launches consultation on Air Quality Action Plan for Park Street in Bridgend

Bridgend County Borough Council has today (Monday 5 September 2022) launched a public consultation on a Draft Air Quality Action Plan for Park Street in Bridgend.

The consultation follows a recommendation from the council’s 2018 Annual Progress Report (APR) to implement and raise an Order for an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) designated to Park Street. Datasets reported during 2017 found that two nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) non-automated monitoring locations situated on Park Street recorded elevated levels and exceeded annual averages.

The Park Street AQMA Order was officially implemented on 1 January 2019, and this declaration will ensure that future decision making in terms of air quality complies with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the council meets the five ways of working, as outlined below:

1. Long term – the Action Plan will balance short-term needs of improving air quality and will also look at measures to safeguard the ability of meeting long-term needs.
2. Prevention – by implementing measures which will be set out in the Action Plan, the council should ensure improvements in air quality and will be able to prevent air quality deteriorating in the future.
3. Integration – Shared Regulatory Services (SRS) will look to ensure that the work undertaken as part of the Action Plan integrates with public body’s environmental well-being objectives.
4. Collaboration – the Action Plan will be developed in collaboration with many departments within the council and other external organisations like Public Health Wales.
5. Involvement – the Action Plan will be subject to public consultation and will ensure that those who have a strong interest in improving air quality will be fully involved and their ideas considered.

Taking part in the consultation will include reviewing different measures that the council proposes should be the focus of attention to improve air quality within the Park Street AQMA, which have been provisionally prioritised. As well as this, residents and members of the public are being asked what measures they would personally consider taking to improve air quality.

The consultation is now live and will be open until Monday 21 November 2022.

You can take part in the consultation online by visiting the Bridgend County Borough Council website, or if this isn’t accessible for you, you can request the consultation in alternative formats.

To request alternative formats, contact the Consultation team by email: consultation@bridgend.gov.uk, telephone: 01656 643664 or text relay: 18001 01656 643664.