Teignbridge welcomes a major funding boost for projects tackling air pollution

Teignbridge welcomes a major funding boost for projects tackling air pollution

 

Work on improving air quality and tackling pollution for those who live, work and visit Teignbridge has been given a welcome boost after the Council secured £27,950 in Government funding.

 

Teignbridge was one of just 42 authorities to be awarded the money by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to research and develop innovative projects aimed at decreasing emissions and improving air quality for residents, businesses and visitors.

 

The money will help fund research into two projects. One will investigate the possibility of introducing a low emission bus fleet within the district. New buses are increasingly cleaner as a result of the introduction of more stringent emission standards and by bringing in a low emission fleet it will reduce vehicle and CO2 emissions, provide efficiency savings for bus operators and give customers a more comfortable journey.

 

The second will look at conducting a feasibility study into whether an out-of-town freight transfer depot can be established outside Newton Abbot to help ease traffic flows, reduce emissions and cut congestion.

 

Work is already underway on both and will involve consultation with local people, businesses and key stakeholders including Devon County Council.

 

The two proposals form part of Teignbridge's Air Quality Action Plan. The 101-page plan, published in March 2009 and revised in March 2010, was aimed at introducing to improve air quality in the four designated four Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) - residential areas where levels of nitrogen dioxide, a gas associated with vehicle emissions, are considered too high.

The AQMAs are:

 

· Bitton Park Road, Teignmouth

· The A380 corridor, Kingskerswell

· Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton

· Iddesleigh Terrace, Dawlish.

 

A series of measures have already been implemented to help improve the air quality in all areas. They range from altered traffic light timings to reduce congestion to organising and improved sign-posting to industrial estates for vehicles.

The Council also did its bit by becoming the first local authority in the country to use a new eco-friendly fleet of refuse vehicles. As part of its commitment to being greener and cleaner, the authority invested in 12 vehicles with engines that were designed to significantly reduce harmful emissions.

Cllr Kevin Lake, Teignbridge District Council's Executive Spokesperson for Environmental Services, said:

 

"We are delighted with this Defra funding of £27,950 and it is a great note on which to start 2013. It will really help in our aim of improving air quality in Newton Abbot, Kingsteignton, Teignmouth and Dawlish. 

 

"Like other busy districts across the UK, we know that air pollution in some areas is primarily caused by traffic and we've already successfully carried out some really worthwhile and innovative projects that have helped drive down emissions.

 

"There is still a lot of work to be done to see if each scheme is practical, realistic and beneficial to residents and communities. This work will also include talking to partner agencies, local people and businesses to see whether or not they would support the projects.

 

"Clean air is essential for improving the quality of life in Teignbridge and improving people's health. With this money, we will be able to continue working on achieving reductions in air pollution and making the district an even cleaner and greener place to live, work and visit."

 

The grant will be used to support funding already identified from other grant monies and contributions from developers specifically targeted to improve air quality in Teignbridge. The Council will be providing Defra with a progress report by Autumn 2013.