1. AIR QUALITY PLANS AND PROGRAMMES IN THE UK
Dr Janet Dixon Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK

2. Content Air quality problems in UK UK plans & programmes
Effective abatement measures
Main problems encountered in the planning process
Recommendations for improvement of the provisions on an European level

3. Air quality problems in the UK - Reported exceedences of limit value plus margin of tolerance for 2004
Pollutant and Limit Value
Exceedences reported
NO2 annual mean LV + MOT
6 zones measured + 28 zones modelled
NO2 hourly mean LV + MOT
1 zone measured
PM10 stage 1 annual mean LV + MOT
1 zone modelled
PM10 stage 1 24-hr mean LV +MOT
1 zones measured + 18 zones modelled
SO2 hourly LV + MOT
SO2 daily LV +MOT
none

4. Air quality problems in UK – PM10 + NO2
PM10 gravimetric annual mean roadside concentrations
Don’t model 24 hour concentrations – annual mean of 31.5 equal to 35 exceedences of 50
NO2 annual mean roadside concentrations

5. UK plans & programmes International EU directives, UNECE protocols
Air Quality Strategy
Regional
London – Low Emission Zone (LEZ); Congestion Charging Scheme (CCS)
Local
Local Air Quality Management Review and Assessment
Air Quality Management Areas + Air Quality Action Plans

6. European requirements
Auto-Oil programme, in particular Directives 98/69/EC and 99/96/EC;
National Emissions Ceilings Directive (2001/81/EC)
Large Combustion Plant Directive (2001/80/EC)
Sulphur Content of Liquid Fuels Directive (1999/32/EC);
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (1996/61/EC)
Directive 98/70/EC and 2003/17/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels

7. National Actions Review of the Air Quality Strategy
Measures to reduce emissions from vehicles
Monitoring and control of exhaust emissions performance throughout the service life of a vehicle
Air Transport White Paper
Transport 10-Year Plan + Future of Transport White Paper
Scotland’s Transport Future – The Transport White Paper 2004
Regional Transportation Strategy for Northern Ireland
Energy White Paper
UK Climate Change Programme,
UK Sustainable Development Strategy
Regional Development Strategy for Northern Ireland
Reduced vehicle emissions - A revised set of grant schemes to incentivise the adoption of cleaner fuels and vehicles has been developed and notified to the Commission for state aid clearance. The grant schemes are being launched and implemented as and when Commission approval is granted.
Emissions performance - For example, exhaust emissions are checked at periodical roadworthiness tests (as required by Directive 96/96/EC). They are also liable to be checked during the year at the roadside (in accordance with the principles of Directive 2000/30/EC).  The combined effect of all of these - and also awareness publicity - helps to ensure that optimum emissions performance is maintained.
Air Transport White Paper - sets out a strategic framework for the development of air capacity in the UK over the next 10 years, against the wider context of the air transport sector.
Transport 10 yr plan - published in July 2000, the strategy was intended to modernise the British transport system and contribute further improvements in air pollution over and above those already achieved, especially in urban areas where air pollution remains a problem. In July 2004, the UK Government published the Future of Transport White Paper, which reviews and built on progress and experience of delivering the Plan, and set out a strategy to achieve further improvements in air quality.
EWP - which sets out a package of measures to reduce emissions from energy production in the UK, and to increase the role of renewable energy.
CCP - intended to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, will also impact on levels of NO2, SO2 and PM10 in ambient air.

8. AQS Measures: Road transport measures

9. AQS Measures: Other measures
Non-road transport measures
Combined measures

11. Model Outputs: Roadside NO2 2020
Measure Q (Early Euro V + LEV + SCP)
Baseline

12. Model Results: Roadside NO2
NO2 Percentage of total road length exceeding 40 µgm-3 (2003 base year):

13. Regional Measures London – Mayor of London’s Air Quality Strategy
(Congestion Charging Scheme)
London Bus fleet
imposing particulate traps and at least Euro II standards by 2005,
extensive trials of cleaner bus technology
London Taxis - imposing cleaner standards
Low Emission Zone
CCS – Implemented in Feb 03 to reduce congestion - NOx down 13%; PM10 down 15% within zone; will be extended westwards in Feb 07

14. Local Measures
Local Air Quality Management Review and Assessment process
177 Authorities declared Air Quality Management Areas - mainly NO2 & PM10, few SO2, benzene
Local Authority action plans
Road transport measures: Physical traffic management: speed & flow; Re-routing and road hierarchy; Access control & Clear Zones; Low Emission Zones; Road user charging; Parking management & charging; Reallocated roadspace (e.g. bus lanes); Public transport initiatives – bus, rail; Development of cycling and walking; Partnerships & travel plans (workplace & school); Promotion, education & awareness raising; Fleet management & clean fuels; Land use planning; Freight measures; Roadside emissions testing

15. Local Measures (cont’d)
Transport measures: Passenger rail; Freight rail; Maritime and ports; Inland waterways
Industrial measures: Local Abatement; Emission Reduction; Closure/Relocation
Domestic Measures: Energy Conservation; Fuel Improvement; Fuel Switch; Appliance Improvement; Smoke Control; Nuisance policy (bonfires etc.)
Airport Measures: Airside Activity; Aircraft on Stand; Aircraft Ground Movements; Aircraft take-off/landing; Aircraft composition; Airside vehicles; Point source emissions; Surface access

16. Effective abatement measures
Cost benefit analysis
Ex-post analysis of Air Quality Strategy
Saved 4,200 premature deaths per year
Saved 3,500 hospital admissions per year
Road transport measures - £ million
Electricity generation measures – £ million
Over estimate costs
CBA – carried out as part of negotiation/consultation process within Government and with stakeholders. Ex poste analysis also carried out

17. Main problems encountered in the planning process
Source apportionment of PM
Underestimation of real-world vehicle emissions
Increasing primary NO2 emissions at many roadside sites
Interannual variation in meteorology
Timescale for implementation is medium to long-term
Difficulty in quantifying the improvement to air quality that will result
May be impacts on/benefits to air quality of totally unrelated policies
school admission policies; public having choice of schools, health services, etc

18. Main problems encountered in the planning process
At local authority level:
Difficulty in engagement with other internal departments
Difficulty in engagement with external organisations
Scope of available measures limited and unlikely to deliver significant improvements
Lack of appropriate powers of authority
Lack of resources for the development of the action plan - staff and funding for development and implementation of the action plan
Phasing of the action plans and Local Transport Plans

19. Recommendations for improvement of the provisions on an European level
Recommend the use of modelling for reporting and Plans & Programmes
EU-wide certification scheme for retrofits
EU standard labelling scheme to assist LEZs
EU exchange of good/best practice
Encouragement to assess climate change impacts when considering air quality plans and vice versa