Rotherham
Rotherham, like many other towns and cities in the UK, has air quality which does not meet European and National standards.
The sources of air pollution in Rotherham are both road transport and industry. Commercial or household heating systems also has a small impact on air quality.
Rotherham MBC hope to:
- Achieve national health-based air quality targets by 2015.
- Protect areas where air pollution is low.
- Improve areas where air pollution is elevated.
If these aims are achieved, the health of people in Rotherham will be improved. Rotherham Public Health has calculated that poor air quality has been linked to 153 premature deaths per year in Rotherham alone. Poor air quality has short and long-term health impacts, particularly for our hearts and lungs. Poor health means more hospital visits, which costs the NHS money.
The Environment Act 1995 requires all local authorities to carry out duties to improve local outdoor air quality. These duties are carried out by Rotherham MBC’s Community Protection Unit and include checking the air quality in their Borough.
The air quality assessments carried out within Rotherham over the last ten years have highlighted several areas that have been made Air Quality Management Areas. All of the current Air Quality Management Areas have been declared because of emissions from traffic causing higher than average levels of nitrogen dioxide. Approximately 220 other UK local authorities have declared Air Quality Management Areas due to high nitrogen dioxide levels.
Rotherham MBC has declared seven Air Quality Management Areas during the past eleven years. They have revoked one in Brampton Bierlow which was declared for sulphur dioxide from domestic solid fuel burning and one on Fitzwilliam Road which was declared for PM10 pollution. Air quality has now improved in these two areas.
Find out more about air quality in Rotherham, on Rotherham council’s air quality web page.