Share your views on measures to improve air quality in Dudley borough
Residents have been invited to share their thoughts on a new plan to improve air quality and tackle pollution in Dudley borough.
A draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) has been produced by Dudley Council as part of the authority’s legal duty to monitor and report on air quality.
The plan outlines the steps the council intends to take in order to cut harmful emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas and particulate matter (PM10 & PM 2.5) between 2024 and 2030.
It has a number of key priorities, including improving infrastructure to allow more journeys to be taken by public transport, on foot or via bicycle.
The plan also suggests encouraging the adoption of low emission transport, such as electric vehicles, and making the public more aware of the health risks of air pollution.
Dudley’s previous action plan was in place from 2011 to 2016 and substantially reduced the number of sites in the borough which exceeded the safe annual level of emissions, cutting this from 15 in 2011 to just 2 in 2023.
Work to improve the borough’s green infrastructure is already underway, with a new public transport interchange, the West Midlands Metro extension and more electric vehicle charging points set to arrive in the next twelve months.
Councillor James Clinton, cabinet member for public health, said:
We’ve worked with several different departments across the council to develop this detailed action plan, which will help us to tackle the many dangers that air pollution poses to people’s health.
Now is the time for people who live, study, or work in Dudley borough to have their say on the plan’s measures. We’ll listen carefully to their feedback and make sure it’s taken into account as we work to reduce these harmful emissions.
If the plan is successful in meeting government targets, the Air Quality Management Area currently covering the borough could be revoked, which would be another sign of real progress in cleaning up our air.
Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of Dudley Council, said:
Work to improve our green infrastructure is already underway, with a new public transport interchange, the West Midlands Metro extension and more electric vehicle charging points set to arrive in the next twelve months.
These improvements are a key part of our Air Quality Action Plan, which will help us to reduce air pollution and improve the health of our residents – as well as making it easier to get around the borough.
The draft Air Quality Action Plan, along with a link to the survey is available on the Dudley Council website at www.dudley.gov.uk/aqap.
The survey will close on Monday 30 September at 11.59pm.
The consultation feedback will be used to make any necessary amendments to the action plan and offer a measure of public opinion to the relevant government department about the changes needed to improve local air quality.