Harrogate Borough Council is proposing to declare two new Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) in the district and is carrying out a public consultation on the size of the area that the AQMAs will cover.
The proposed AQMAs cover:
- Woodlands Junction on Wetherby Road in Harrogate
- York Place in Knaresborough
Harrogate Borough Council carries out frequent reviews which measure local air quality against objectives set out in the National Air Quality Strategy. If the council finds any area where the objectives are not being met, an AQMA is declared.
The council has been monitoring levels of nitrogen dioxide at Woodlands and York Place and has found that they exceed the national objectives.
Before the AQMAs are formally declared, the council is asking for views on the size and extent of the areas to be covered. Letters have gone out to residents and businesses in and around the Woodlands Junction and York Place areas giving details of the consultation, which is also available on the council’s website.
Councillor Phil Ireland is Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport. He said:
Declaring an AQMA is a positive and vital first step to improving local air quality and tackling pollution. It is important that the public have the opportunity to have their say on the proposed AQMAs and I would encourage anyone who would like to comment to take part in our consultation.
Once the AQMA is in place, we will work with local residents, businesses, partners and other interested parties to develop an Action Plan which will identify measures to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels and improve the local air quality.
To take part in the consultation, go to www.harrogate.gov.uk/have-your-say and select ‘Air Quality Management Areas consultation’
You can also comment on the proposed areas by emailing the council’s Environmental Protection Team at EP@harrogate.gov.uk
The consultation runs until Sunday 13 August.
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