Air quality in West Oxfordshire continues to improve
Air quality in West Oxfordshire has improved significantly since 2005 when Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) were declared for Witney and Chipping Norton. The nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in all monitored areas are now below the national objective levels and showing around a 50% reduction.
The Council has now approved a new Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) which sets out current and future measures to be put in place by West Oxfordshire District Council and our air quality partners, to further reduce NO2 and other damaging particulates to acceptable levels.
Lidia Arciszewska, Executive Member for Environment said, “It’s good news for communities to know that air quality is improving, but there is still more to do. We continue to be committed to reducing the exposure of residents to poor air quality.
“We will soon publish our new AQAP that sets out plans to improve access to walking, cycling and public transport in Witney and Chipping Norton, where NO2 concentrations have been historically high. These interventions will help to maintain acceptable NO2 levels and improve health in our communities.
“We are also investigating installing fine particulate matter sensors in known hotspots in the district to monitor other damaging particles in the air. These sensors will detect pollutants that are smaller than a red blood cell and will enable us to consider how we could further improve our air quality which will ultimately help improve people’s health.”
Air pollution is associated with several 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 equality issues because areas with poor air quality are also often the less affluent areas.
Fine particulate matter is becoming increasingly associated with respiratory and cardiovascular health conditions as well as other heath conditions such as cancer and dementia. Monitoring these particulates will enable the council to identify any areas of concern and then plan to improve them.
The high levels of NO2 recorded in 2005 were attributed to similar issues in both Witney and Chipping Norton, namely traffic congestion and ‘street canyons’, where continuous buildings either side of a road trap air pollutants causing them to build up.
The Covid pandemic saw concentrations of NO2 fall significantly across the UK, following the sharp decrease in vehicle usage. Since the removal of all restrictions towards the end of 2021, there has been a slight increase in NO2 concentrations across the district, but these have never returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Predictions based on raw 2024 data collected to date, suggests the annual average NO2 concentration for the current year will be lower than 2023, continuing the trend of improvement. If this is proven to be the case, it is likely Defra will expect to revoke the AQMAs in 2025 or 2026. Revocation of an AQMA is expected when concentrations of NO2 have been at acceptable levels for three consecutive years.
The continuing downward trend in NO2 concentrations we are seeing across the district, is thought to be due to a combination of factors, including the continuing popularity of working from home and an increase in uptake of low emission and ultra-low emission vehicles.