Helping Local Authorities and National Highways Improve Air Quality

Improving Air Quality and Ensuring National Highways play a statutory role

I have campaigned extensively to tackle pollution in our constituency and am delighted the Government has launched two new consultations to help local authorities improve air quality. These seek to strengthen guidance for local authorities and also designate National Highways as a public health authority, ensuring closer collaboration and co-operation among the organisations responsible for air quality issues. 

We all know that air pollution poses the largest environmental risk to public health and that we need to build on reducing emissions and aim for targets made under the Environment Act. The Government’s announcement of 11.6m in funding being delivered to local authorities and a £880 million programme to tackle nitrogen dioxide exceedances under the 2017 NO2 Plan.  

Improving local air quality management, and ensuring National Highways play a statutory role in delivering on these commitments is vital. I recently met with National Highways and the Connect Plus team and I have repeatedly raised concerns over the impact the M25 has on noise and air pollution. I have also raised directly with the Prime Minister the need for infrastructure development to prioritise minimising air and noise pollution for local residents, and I therefore welcome the publication of these consultations.  

Further details regarding the consultation on local air quality management are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-air-quality-management-policy-guidance  

The second consultation regarding National Highways can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/designation-of-national-highways-as-a-relevant-public-authority  

We must do everything we can to reduce exposure to air pollution, which can cause cases of heart disease, strokes, asthma and lung cancers. I welcome these consultations which will help ensure air quality standards are met in our communities. National Highways will have to commit to measures to help bring roads back into compliance wherever transport using a major highway has contributed to local air quality limits being exceeded.

You may also be interested in

Reduce air and noise pollution

Air quality maps show that, in Runnymede and Weybridge, the largest impact we face is from our motorways and major A roads. Residents also know there is almost no part of the constituency that is not affected by motorway noise.

Third Party Intermediaries in Energy Markets Consultation Response

I was pleased to respond to the Government’s consultation on the regulation of third party intermediaries in the energy retail market this week.This consultation focused primarily on the regulation of market actors such as energy brokers and price comparison websites.