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Memorandum submitted by the Low Emission
Strategies Partnership (AQ12)
Summary
· To
date, air quality policy in the UK
has focused too heavily on monitoring, review and assessment, with limited
requirements for action to reduce emissions.
· We
recommend that the Government:
o revises the air quality policy framework in order to drive action on
emission reductions; and
o recognises the opportunities provided by the adoption of Low Emission
Strategies.
1 Introduction
The Low Emission Strategies Partnership
1.1 The Low Emission Strategies (LES)
Partnership welcomes the opportunity to provide evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee's inquiry into Air
Quality.
1.2 The LES Partnership (www.lowemissionstrategies.org)
was established in 2007 to disseminate good practice in reducing transport
emissions of toxic air pollutants and greenhouse gases. The Partnership
specifically seeks to accelerate the deployment and penetration of low-emission
transport fuels and technologies. This is achieved by supporting local authorities
to adopt and implement low-emission policies, strategies and measures.
1.3 Phase I of the programme established 18
'peer group' projects across 15 local authorities, providing expert advice and
sharing best practice. The Partnership also produced a guidance document 'Low
Emission Strategies: Using the planning system to reduce transport emissions'.
An updated draft of this document has progressed to the final stages of
approval with a view to publishing it on the Defra website as a joint Defra and
LES Partnership guidance report. Funding has been secured for Phase II, which
will run from November 2009 to March 2011, building on progress made during the
first phase.
1.4 The Partnership Board includes representatives
from London Borough of Greenwich, London Borough of Hillingdon, Sefton
Metropolitan Borough Council, Sheffield City Council, Wigan Metropolitan
Borough Council, Mid-Devon District Council, Leeds City Council and Cenex
(Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies).
Low Emission Strategies
1.5 As defined by the Partnership, a Low
Emission Strategy provides a package of measures to help mitigate the
transport impacts of development. The primary aim is to reduce transport
emissions by accelerating the uptake of low-emission fuels and technologies in
and around a development site. In this way, Low Emission Strategies can exploit
opportunities presented to catalyse innovation and enable market
transformation. Low-emission strategies may address both the construction and operational
phases of a development. They can also complement other design and mitigation
options, such as travel planning and the provision of public transport
infrastructure.
1.6 Strategies may be secured through a
combination of planning conditions and legal obligations (section 106
agreements). They may incorporate policy measures and/or require financial
contributions to the delivery of low-emission transport projects and plans. For
example, typical operational phase measures include emission-based parking
policies, investment in low-emission infrastructure, fleet emission
improvement, low-emission procurement and supply chain initiatives and
contributions to local transport projects and strategic monitoring.
1.7 In reducing transport emissions, low-emission
strategies improve local air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
associated with climate change. They also contribute to local government
performance targets, provide local economic benefits, help to streamline planning
decisions and contribute to wider sustainable development goals.
2 Factual information
2.1 In June 2008, the
LES Partnership published a Consultation Draft of Good Practice Guidance, Low
Emission Strategies: Using the planning system to reduce transport emissions[1].
An updated draft of this document has progressed to the final stages of
approval with a view to publishing it on the Defra website as a joint Defra and
LES Partnership guidance report. This guidance includes an annex with details of practical examples of
Low Emission Strategies adopted by local authorities in order to reduce
transport emissions at development sites.
3 Recommendations for action
3.1 Improvements in air quality require a co-ordinated approach at
local, national and international levels. The LES Partnership is primarily concerned
with action at a local authority level.
3.2 The principal weakness in the
approach to air quality over recent years has been an over-emphasis
on monitoring and assessment, to the detriment of concerted action on the
ground. This is a result of a policy framework that is process driven and
emphasises review and assessment, with limited regard for implementation. In
particular, the requirement for local authorities to merely 'work towards'
compliance with the Air Quality Objectives is ineffectual. The difficulty in
resolving this issue is that compliance is not simply related to local
authority action, but is also affected by regional and national factors.
Furthermore, research into health impacts has identified potential adverse
effects even below the levels set by the Air Quality Objectives.
3.3 Nevertheless, Local
Air Quality Management has been successful in developing a large body of
evidence on air quality in the UK.
We have a good understanding of the actions that are possible, and an
increasing understanding of their likely costs and benefits. We now need strong
drivers for action and strong mechanisms for delivery.
3.4 The LES Partnership
was established in response to these concerns, and we subscribe to the following
approach:
a) pursuit of cost effective emission reductions, wherever they can
be achieved;
b) use of robust, quantitative assessment to support decision making;
c) recognition of the links
between air quality and climate change, and the importance of pursuing win-wins
and actively managing trade-offs; and
d) recognition of opportunities
to reduce emissions through the planning system, by the implementation of low-emission
strategies.
3.5 The LES Partnership therefore
recommends that the Government:
i. revises the air quality
policy framework in order to drive action on emission reductions; and
ii. recognises the opportunities
provided by the adoption of Low Emission Strategies.
11 December 2009
[1] www.lowemissionstrategies.org/downloads/LES_Consultation_Draft.pdf
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