Cleaner Air on the A34

Written by Cllrs Chris Wise & Janet Godden on Wed 7th Nov 2007

In Oxfordshire today we own more cars and drive further than ever before. In the last 20 years the number of cars owned by Oxfordshire residents has almost doubled to over 300,000. In addition, more than one in ten of Oxfordshire's workforce is now travelling more than 20miles to get to work. The result is that total traffic on Oxfordshire's roads has increased by two per cent per year since 1991. Forecasts show many sections of Oxfordshire's main roads will exceed capacity by 2011.

At the November meeting of the Botley Traffic Advisory Committee a report presented by Tim Williams an Environmental Health Officer at the Vale of White Horse District Council (Vale) provided welcome news about improved air quality.

The air has been tested for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), being one pollutant amongst others, for immediate roadside damage only. The following are some of the locations where monitoring is taking place: Hutchcomb Road, Westminster Way, West Way, Botley Primary School, Radleigh Park Road, Southern Bypass and Stanley Close and Arthray Road. These locations were selected due to proximity to the A34, the major trunk road link for traffic movements between Southampton and the North of England. The results of testing have demonstrated a fall in the level of this contaminant, a gas produced by vehicles with internal combustion engines, typically motorcars, lorries and motorcycles. Close to the A34, the average presence of the pollutant is 40ug/m3 and as a consequence, the Vale in 2006 declared the locality an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). The target value is 40ug/m3.

The reduction of NO2 is good news, achieved because vehicles, in particular cars are becoming cleaner through improvements in the design, tighter emission controls and rigorous Ministry of Transport (MOT) testing. However, the current NO2 levels are still too high and forecast improvements in air quality are lagging predictions by about four years. This means the desired standard of air within the AQMA should be to the predicted standard for current and proposed values by 2010.

The main vehicle culprits are heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) whose emissions are tested at weighbridges. Some lorries will be continental trucks failing to meet our stringent pollution standards. A reality of life is a comprehensive network of roads for deliveries essential to the local economy. HGVs can though cause major problems for the communities through which they pass. Clearly a balance needs to be struck between providing for the needs of industry and commerce, whilst protecting the local environment.