Agenda item

The Committee considered the Update on Current Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in Carmarthenshire.  The Committee noted that the Environment Act 1995 placed a duty on local authorities to assess and manage air quality in its area.

The report provided the Committee with a detailed update of the levels of NO² specifically within the town of Llandeilo and areas of Carmarthen and Llanelli which had experienced increasing levels of NO² over the last few years. 

The following issues were raised in relation to the report:

• Reference was made to 2.3 of the report.  Confirmation was sought in relation to the provision of a by-pass for Llandeilo.  The Environmental Protection Manager confirmed that the Welsh Government were hosting a workshop on 16^th January 2018 in order to find a way forward.  The Director of Environment added that Highways Officers had been lobbying hard to ensure that the process was proceeding speedily.

• In order to provide information on the current air quality in an interactive way, it was suggested that social media platforms and text facilities could be utilised to post NO² results.  The Environmental Protection Manager acknowledged that whilst this was a good suggestion, due to the method of collection, the data was only collated on a monthly basis and therefore would not available for ‘live’ or ‘current’ updates.  An additional suggestion was raised whereby working collaboratively with the Public Service Board could generate more innovative outcomes.  The Environmental Protection Manager stated that the team had previously worked with Public Health Wales and that there may be scope to work with Swansea University as they had necessary specialist equipment and were currently working with individuals with respiratory problems.

• Strong concern was raised regarding the significant congestion problems caused by the new traffic light system on Sandy Road, Llanelli.  The Director of Environment explained that the new traffic signals had been designed to detect approaching traffic flows on each arm of the junction and optimise signal timings to minimise congestion.  The Director of Environment stated that she would ask the Head of Highways and Transportation to discuss the issue further with the local member.

• With regard to the ongoing traffic problems on Sandy Road, Llanelli concern was raised that the NO² levels in that area could be raised as a result of the congestion.  The Environmental Protection Manager confirmed that this was included on the action plan and regular monitoring was ongoing.

• Reference was made to section 3.3 of the report which stated that as part of the Action Planning process, work was being undertaken with a primary school in the Carmarthen area to monitor and assess Air Quality within the school grounds. A query was raised with regard to extending the monitoring work with schools in the Llanelli area. The Environment and Protection Manager stated that arrangements were currently being made to discuss proposals for monitoring Air Quality within the school grounds of a primary school in Llanelli which would mirror the project currently being undertaken in Carmarthen schools. 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be received.