Exploring plans for improving air quality

The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has agreed to explore proposals for improving air quality in Park Street, Bridgend.

In January 2019, the local authority officially implemented the county’s first Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) Order in Park Street after tests showed nitrogen dioxide levels were above national air quality objectives.

Following a number of public engagement sessions and the work of a steering group, three mitigation measures have been developed to help tackle the air quality issues, which have been attributed to inconsistent traffic flows on the road and vehicles queuing.

The measures are to stop access onto St. Leonard’s Road, introduce a four-phase junction at the Heol-y-Nant turning (three traffic, one pedestrian), and to improve the road junction between Park Street, Angel Street and Tondu Road.

Public consultation over the proposals will now be organised, and further transport and air quality modelling will now be carried out to demonstrate the benefits of the work.

As part of this, an automated air quality monitoring system will be installed in the grounds of the Quakers Meeting House in Park Street to provide real-time data that can be used to inform traffic control measures for specific periods.

We promised to work alongside a wide range of stakeholders to develop a solution to this issue, including residents and members of the public.

The proposals reflect the hard work and commitment of the steering group as well as public feedback. Further work will now take place to establish their potential benefits, and we will carry out new public consultation once those results are known.

Councillor Dhanisha Patel, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations