Director of Public Health Health Protection Assurance Report

North Tyneside Council has responsibility to regularly review and assess air quality. This is set out in Part IV of the Environment Act (1995) and requires a Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) process.

Poor air quality is a significant public health issue. There is a mortality burden associated with long-term exposure to anthropogenic particulate air pollution at current levels, expressed as the percentage of annual deaths from all causes in those aged 30+.

Table 20: Fraction of mortality attributable to particulate air pollution (2021)

North Tyneside Council produces an annual report which provides an overview of air quality.

North Tyneside Council monitors the levels of two pollutants (nitrogen dioxide NO² and particulate matter PM10) at several locations across North Tyneside. The air quality monitoring carried out in North Tyneside in conjunction with our joint work with Newcastle and Gateshead in response to Governments UK Air Quality Plan 2017 has indicated no locations where NO² levels are predicted to exceed recommend levels (40µg). A review of the latest annual monitoring data for nitrogen dioxide and particulates shows that the levels have remained steady with localised improvements/reductions where major highway schemes have been delivered. To ensure our monitoring remains robust and accurate we have invested in real time continuous air quality monitors at several key locations across the Borough.

There have been several concerns from the public regarding the potential impact the planned road improvement schemes will have on congestion and subsequently air quality. In response passive nitrogen dioxide diffusion tubes have been installed at relevant sensitive receptors. These diffusion tubes have been installed at the 20 most congested locations across the borough for a period of almost 2 years, and those at junctions that have been subject to road improvements schemes have shown positive changes in recorded levels of NO².

Environmental Health is working to develop and implement an Air Quality Strategy, and this will include an action plan to incorporate measures that will help minimise the two primary pollutants of concern, nitrogen dioxide and particulates. This strategy will be initiated and progressed by a Steering Group, whose membership consists of all relevant partners including transport, public health, planning, and environmental health. Areas for action include:

• Traffic management measures
• Reduce emissions from new and existing developments.
• Reduce emissions from road transport
• Promotion of alternative modes of travel
• Setting more stringent local targets for levels of NO² around Schools
• Facilitate transition to Electric Vehicles