Published Date: Jul 28th, 2023
Following the success of initiatives to improve Fife’s air quality, the council is set to fully revoke the two Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA’s) at Bonnygate, Cupar and Appin Crescent, Dunfermline, from November 2023.
To protect people's health and the environment, Fife Council has been carrying out a review and assessment of air quality. This involves measuring air pollution and trying to predict how it will change in the next few years. The aim of the review is to make sure that national air quality objectives are achieved by the relevant deadlines.
In places where the objectives are not likely to be achieved, an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) must be declared. Declaration of an AQMA requires a Local Air Quality Action Plan to be put in place, which is exactly what Fife Council did to effectively reduce pollutants.
Both Action Plans for Appin Crescent, Dunfermline and Bonnygate, Cupar resulted in these AQMA’s being amended in 2021 to remove the pollutant NO2 (nitrogen dioxide).
Following further monitoring and comparison studies, the AQMA’s will now be amended to also remove PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants, after recommendations from the Scottish Government and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). These decisions indicate three or more years of the pollutants being kept under the prescribed limit.
Councillor Jan Wincott, Spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change, said: “Air quality is good in most parts of Fife, however, there have been a few specific areas of concern, where pollution has been an issue. Revoking these two AQMAs is a testament to the success of the measures that have improved air quality at these locations.
“Working with local communities has been a key factor in achieving these goals, and campaigns such as the Anti-Idling Campaign and Clean Air Day events, have been instrumental in reducing air pollution in parts of Fife.
“As we continue to address the climate emergency in Fife, it is really encouraging to see the Scottish Government and SEPA recognise our efforts to improve air quality.”
To achieve the air quality levels required to lift the AQMA’s, the Council set up a Core Air Quality Steering group, with both internal services and external agencies. The group produced an Air Quality Strategy and action plan that led to the decrease of pollution in Bonnygate and Appin Crescent.
These measures have included road traffic management, such as a co-ordinated traffic queue relocation system in Bonnygate, and improved road traffic signage in Appin Crescent. Other measures include promoting active travel, such as walking and cycling.
Following revocation of these two AQMAs, Fife Council will continue to monitor and assess air quality at these locations to ensure compliance and further improvements can be made through its Air Quality Strategy.
Find out more about how you can improve air quality at: www.fife.gov.uk/airquality
If you would like to provide feedback on this decision, you can email: air.quality@fife.gov.uk