Agenda item

(a) That the declaration of the two AQMAs be noted.

(b) That continued air quality monitoring in the town centre area be endorsed, so that information is available to determine progress in mitigation of the AQMAs.

(c) That officers be instructed to lobby for air quality to continue to be a key consideration when long term infrastructure projects are discussed or consulted upon.

The Cabinet considered a report detailing two Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) to be declared in the Town Centre caused by a likely breach of health based standards for nitrogen dioxide.  The areas in question were –

·  A4 Bath Road from the junction with Ledgers Road/Stoke Poges Lane in an easterly direction along Wellington Street up to the Sussex Place junction. 

·  A355 Tuns Lane from Junction 6 of the M4 Motorway in a northerly direction to just passed its junction with the A4 Bath Road and A355 Farnham Road known as the Three Tuns.  Members were advised that the breaches of the health based standards were caused by road traffic and that any action planned to address the breaches would therefore be part of the next revision of the Local Transport Plan (LTP) for Slough. 

Members noted that introducing measures to control traffic would reduce air pollution, traffic related congestion and potentially noise.  Members noted that intelligent traffic management system that the Council had introduced was one of the measures that could be helpful in this and that further investment would be needed to introduce measures to keep traffic moving. 

Resolved -

(a)  That the declaration of the two AQMAs be noted.

(b)   That continued air quality monitoring in the town centre area be endorsed, so that information is available to determine progress in mitigation of the AQMAs.

(c)   That officers be instructed to lobby for air quality to continue to be a key consideration when long term infrastructure projects are discussed or consulted upon.