Galgate Air Quality Management Area (AQMA)
Overview
The National Air Quality Strategy for England and Wales has set health-related air quality objectives for eight air pollutants. These objectives have various averaging times and may apply at different locations. For example the annual average objective for the pollutant Nitrogen Dioxide is a concentration in air of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre and this applies only at residential properties.
For seven air pollutants, local authorities must periodically review and assess local air quality to identify any locations where air quality objectives are unlikely to be achieved. An air quality management area (AQMA) must be declared wherever the objectives are unlikely to be achieved by the dates they come into force.
In Galgate an Air Quality Management Area has been declared (details below) due primarily to exhaust emissions from road traffic.
| Date | November 2009 |
| Extent | The road associated with this Order is the section of Main Road, Galgate between numbers 59 and 103. A plan is included in the AQMA order (PDF, 726KB). |
| Pollutants | Nitrogen Dioxide - annual average objective only |
| Sources | Road traffic exhaust emissions |
| Progress |
A Further Assessment technical report (PDF, 1.2MB) (also a summary note (PDF, 422KB)) was prepared in 2010. The Further Assessment concluded that a significant action to relive traffic emissions within the air quality management area was required to meet compliance with air quality objectives. Discussions with the Highways Authority (the County Council) in 2014 directed that the Transport Masterplan for Lancaster should be adopted as the means to deliver an air quality action plan for Galgate. This included the delivery of the Heysham/M6 link Road (the Bay Gateway). This was agreed and the transport masterplan was adopted in October 2016 accompanying the opening of the Bay Gateway which formed part of the plan. In 2017, air quality monitoring in the Galgate AQMA indicated compliance with air quality objectives for the first time since area designation. Monitored levels were however only just below objective levels. We will therefore continue to monitor air quality at Galagte. A new air quality action plan for the Lancaster district (including Galgate) will be produced through progress with the Transport Master Plan for Lancaster (available at: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/strategies-policies-plans/roads-parking-and-travel/highways-and-transport-masterplans/lancaster-district-highways-and-transport-masterplan.aspx ). The new air quality action plan is scheduled to be produced by 2020. Further detail can be found in the Air Quality Action Planning Update document and in the Annual Status Reports.
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Last updated: 05 November 2018