Minutes

1        DRAFT AIR QUALITY ANNUAL STATUS REPORT (ASR) 2022 – The Director: Economy and Environment submitted a report seeking approval to consult on the Local Air Quality Management Status Report 2022 and publish the final document following consultation.

The council, as part of its regulatory duties under Local Air Quality Management, must carry out a review and produce a report on air pollution every year. Industrial, domestic and traffic sources must be compared with legal limits for major pollutants

The report was sent to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) who provided technical guidance on how to write the report.

In March 2018 following improvements in local air quality, the council revoked the Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) at Low Santon.  The Scunthorpe AQMA was also reduced in size.  There were now approximately 1700 residential properties located within this AQMA.  This was equivalent to 2.4% of residential properties within North Lincolnshire.

The Annual Status Report for 2022 set out all the air pollution data for the calendar year 2021 against Local Air Quality objectives as set out in the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000.

Some areas within the Scunthorpe AQMA still experienced elevated concentrations of PM10 or ‘near miss’ exceedance days.  These were often influenced by changes in wind speed or direction which may lead to an exceedance and were associated with industrial emissions.  

The council continued to work with the local industry, the Environment Agency and UK Health Security Agency via the Local Industry Forum.

The council were also investing in the air quality monitoring network, with five replacement Beta Attenuation Monitors (BAM’s).  Four would measure PM10 and one would measure levels of PM2.5.  The new monitors would ensure continued data capture and reliability providing consistent, high quality and reliable data.  To provide this assurance, the equipment aligned to the specification of the Automatic Urban Rural Network (AURN) operated by DEFRA.  This investment demonstrated the continued commitment to the review and assessment of local air quality.

Resolved – (a) That consultation with the organisations listed in Appendix 1 be approved, and (b) that relevant feedback be incorporated in the report and the final document for publication be produced, with final sign off delegated to the Director: Economy and Environment.