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BATH PASSES GOVERNMENT AIR QUALITY ASSESSMENT
Air quality in Bath improved following the launch of the Clean Air Zone ( CAZ ) in 2021 , according to the latest monitoring report from the Government .
Official air quality data from 2021 was submitted to the Government ’ s Joint Air Quality Unit ( JAQU ) for review which has now officially declared that Bath & North East Somerset Council has passed its ‘ State 2 ’ assessment .
State 2 is a checkpoint in determining if the Clean Air Zone is achieving success by improving air quality . The report confirms nitrogen dioxide ( NO2 ) concentrations have decreased .
Its analysis of the 2021 data from 121 air quality assessment sites , both within and outside the CAZ , reveals an average reduction of 22 % in NO2 concentration between 2019 and 2021 , with the largest decrease of 16.4 µ g / m3 recorded at Anglo Terrace . It says during 2021 , there were no breaches of the annual mean NO2 limit of 40 µ g / m3 which corroborates the earlier publication by the local authority of its 2021 CAZ annual report .
However , the report by JAQU cautions the improvements may in part be attributed to a reduction in traffic during the early part of the year due to Covid restrictions and the closure of Bath ’ s Cleveland Bridge in October 2021 , affecting routing in and around the city , reducing traffic on certain routes and potentially suppressing roadside NO2 concentrations .
Whilst the report warns of a high risk of breaching NO2 limits in subsequent years , the very latest data from the council for 2022 indicates that air quality is continuing to improve with a 26 % average NO2 reduction inside the zone compared with 2019 .
Councillor Sarah Warren , deputy Leader and cabinet member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Travel , said , “ It is pleasing to see the improvement in air quality . This is great news for the health of residents and visitors . Whilst the report from Government recognises data from 2021 , the council ’ s latest CAZ annual report assessing data from 2022 shows a continuing reduction in pollution levels and improvements in air quality . During 2022 annual mean NO2 concentrations within the CAZ dropped by a further 7 % compared with 2021 , and a further 6 % reduction is indicated across the wider B & NES area .
“ We ’ ve worked hard to reduce pollution both inside and outside the CAZ and this data indicates the measures we ’ ve taken are working . I ’ m particularly pleased to see a huge increase in compliant vehicles since we launched the CAZ with a 71 % reduction in the number of higher polluting vehicles driving through our city . It ’ s having a big impact and I applaud those drivers and businesses who ’ ve made the switch to a cleaner , greener vehicle . Clearly though , there ’ s no room for complacency and we will continue to work to improve people ’ s health by driving down pollution levels .”
Data collected from 2022 has now been forwarded to JAQU for its progressive ‘ State 3 ’ assessment which will determine if the CAZ has continued to maintain improvements to air quality .
Bath ’ s CAZ , the first outside London , was launched on 15th March 2021 . Its aim is to urgently tackle harmful levels of air pollution caused by the most polluting taxis , vans , buses and larger commercial vehicles driving in the city . Anyone driving a chargeable higher emission vehicle pays £ 9 or £ 100 to drive in the zone .
GOING EMISSION FREE
ElectriX the electric car leasing , home charging and insurance experts look at the benefits of green motoring . On 20th September 2023 , the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars was being pushed back to 2035 .
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Whilst rolling back the 2030 ban on new sales of petrol and diesel cars could risk the UK ’ s position as a world leader on electric vehicles , the good news is that under the recently confirmed Zero Emission Vehicle ( ZEV ) Mandate , 80 % of all new cars sold in Great Britain will need to be emission free by 2030 .
It ’ s well documented that the UK is on the cusp of making real headway in its transition to net zero tailpipe emissions for road transport , which is key to improved air quality and health outcomes .
The ZEV Mandate provides a welcome degree of certainty to both industry and the driving community ; businesses are investing heavily in electric car production , EV charging infrastructure , skills and training , and the supply chain .
On the positive side , public appetite for battery electric cars is still growing with a new one being registered every 60 seconds
( September 2023 ). Electric cars have lower running costs , are better for our planet and better for our health . Whilst buying a new EV may be more expensive , second-hand electric cars can be great value . It ’ s not only the upfront costs that matter . If we look at the total cost of ownership , then EVs are often better value once all costs are considered .
So whether you have already embraced EV , or are thinking about making the switch , here ’ s some food for thought around affordability , charging , and innovation in this space .
Affordability Business leasing and EV salary sacrifice schemes are offering affordable access to electric cars , thanks to sustained low rates of Benefit in Kind . In parallel , secondhand electric car sales are ‘ soaring to new levels ’, making EVs more affordable to more people across our communities .
Public charging The Government ’ s goal is to have a minimum of 300,000 public chargers rolled out by 2030 . Reassuringly , the Government is implementing a series of improvements to public charging under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 . This covers reliability , 24 / 7 helplines and transparent pricing . Contactless payment must also be available .
Innovation There ’ s lots of neat innovation , especially in the on-street charging space , which will allow people to charge using their own electricity supply rather than paying more for public charging .
To find out more about electric car leasing from ElectriX visit :
www . lvelectrix . co . uk
6 www . tbebathandsomerset . co . uk