Air quality measures in Ashbourne

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A road next to a Derbyshire school in a town with dangerous air quality issues could be temporarily closed off during pick-up and drop-off times in a bid to curb pollution.

Ashbourne’s air pollution woes, centred in the Buxton Road hill area stemming north out of the town centre, have been a known threat for years.

Work to tackle them is now a legal duty of Derbyshire Dales District Council, which is working with Derbyshire County Council to help reduce pollution

A new report details that nitrogen dioxide pollution, at its worst point on Buxton Road, has been recorded at 50 per cent higher than the deemed acceptable level.

This is 57.4 µg/m3, over an accepted level of 40.

The report says that final responses to tackle pollution are now coming forward after nearly two years of stalled action, with a public consultation now on the horizon.

Experts assessing the planned measures say responses need to focus on two issues: Reducing the number of HGVs driving through Ashbourne and maintaining higher speeds through the town centre (not stagnant congestion).

Methods to quash pollution continue to point to the long-discussed Ashbourne bypass as the option with the largest potential impact – but it has the longest estimated impact time and has many more hurdles to cross before it could become a reality.

The bypass is listed in the report as having an impact on air quality from 2027, but land has not yet been assembled on which to build the route, it does not have planning permission and no construction has taken place.

Ashbourne’s town team group said: “DCC state that the earliest date of completion is estimated as 2027.

“Even this date is considered optimistic considering it is known that there will be considerable local opposition to any planning submission along the current anticipated route.”

Of the 11 actions being taken forward, most are expected to take one to two years to have an impact, with the council having a legal duty to reduce emissions by 20 per cent by 2026.

Meanwhile, the estimated costs of the proposed actions range from a combined total of between £2.4 million to £3.8 million.

Among the options being considered are a potential “school street” scheme outside a primary school in Ashbourne, with the county council leading discussions.

Under this scheme, during term time, streets are closed off to through traffic and parking restrictions are introduced at school pick-up and drop-off times, with access maintained for residents and for the emergency services.

The county council says this would reduce the number of people driving their children to school by a third.

A similar scheme has been run by Derby City Council, called a “safe haven” zone, aimed at improving road safety around five schools.

It was hailed as a success despite a high number of drivers ignoring the new rules, with enforcement cameras being set up to fine motorists who continue to park there.

The county council says it is currently seeking views from all schools in Derbyshire about the demand for implementing “school streets”.

Derbyshire Dales officers write: “No-one measure would be likely to be sufficient to improve air quality to concentrations below the air quality objective value, but that a combination of some or all of the measures could lead to changes such that air quality improves to concentrations below the objective.”

They write that Ashbourne town centre is currently “dominated by heavy goods traffic and poor air quality” with an air quality gauge opposite the Bowling Green pub recording high levels of pollution

Data from consultants Aecom, hired by the county council, shows that at very slow speeds of 5kph, emissions are notably higher than when vehicles are travelling at 30kph.

Road traffic is said to be responsible for 85 per cent of the pollution in the area and this must be reduced by 36 per cent in order to bring down levels to an acceptable level.

It concludes: “Given the percentage of emissions associated with HGVs and the potential reduction in emissions associated with improved speeds, measures that achieve the above two outcomes of reducing HGV numbers and optimising speeds have the potential to reduce concentrations of nitrogen dioxide by the greatest amount.”

The consultants say the change in speeds from 4kph to 30kph demonstrates a potential emissions reduction of 48 to 74 per cent.

Ashbourne pollution campaigner Peter Dobbs had the blunt assessment: “I am not sure we needed 3mph and 6mph calculations to make the point that crawling along generates more emissions.”

The council also says measures to make HGVs more environmentally friendly should bring pollution in the area down to acceptable levels by 2026 on their own.

Mr Dobbs says: “I trust no one is suggesting that we should do nothing because the values will eventually become ‘legal’.

“The figure of 40ug m-3 is already challenged by the World Health Organisation who want to see a figure of 10ug m-3 as a target.”

At this stage, a potential clean air zone charging scheme has been kicked into the long grass, with officials saying it is “not currently identified within the council’s strategies as an intervention which demonstrates local ambition and support”.

Meanwhile, the county council says that current 20mph zones “are primarily focused on tackling an evidenced casualty issue, rather than for environmental reasons” despite giving environmental impact as one of the key reasons for new proposed trials in Buxton and Long Eaton.

The authority says a weight restriction through the town “is not considered appropriate due to the lack of a better, reasonable and convenient alternative being available”.

It says: “Weight restrictions could be considered when the Relief Road is in place.”

Here are the 11 planned actions: