Air Quality Management Area in Storrington

10 Jan 2012

FOR some years now local authorities including the Parish, District and County councils have been working together to find ways to improve the air quality in Storrington and address concerns around traffic.

Following the declaration of an Air Quality Management Area, Horsham District Council has been undertaking what is called a Further Assessment. This assessment is required to, amongst other things:

  • confirm the original assessment 
  • calculate more accurately what improvement in air quality is required 
  • refine the knowledge of sources of pollution, especially traffic based pollution so that the air quality Action Plan may be appropriately targeted 
  • take account of any new local developments that were not fully considered within the earlier Review and Assessment work.

The Further Assessment Report for Storrington is currently being finalised and should be submitted to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by the end of January.

The information from this report is key to defining the measures to be proposed within the Action Plan.

The further assessment is based on the most up to date monitoring data.

It is intended to establish the proportion of nitrogen dioxide emissions contributed by each pollution source, including the different vehicle classes.

This allows Horsham District Council to target actions appropriately and is a key stage in the development of the Action Plan.

In order to develop the Action Plan for Storrington the Council has set up working groups to develop the action plan and implement the options.

To date:

  • West Sussex County Council has updated the pedestrian crossing signals by Old Mill Drive in the summer to an 'intelligent' system designed to reduce vehicle waiting times and to eliminate false crossing requests 
  • Horsham District Council has been successful in winning a grant from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to investigate the feasibility of introducing a Low Emission Zone in Storrington. The Council is currently drawing up the project brief and considering tenders for traffic monitoring equipment
  • West Sussex County Council will be carrying out a CCTV based origin-destination survey of HGVs to better understand HGV movements through Storrington

Pieter Montyn, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “We are also proposing other initiatives, such as variable message signing on the A24 and A29 to dissuade through traffic from using the A283 through Storrington.

“These measures are being considered as part of the overall Action Plan strategy.”

Councillor Roger Arthur, Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for a Safer and Healthier District, said: “I welcome West Sussex County Council’s intention to carry out a traffic survey, which will include consideration of the impact of HGV movements in Storrington.

“West Sussex County Council is an important member of the Steering Group, which must decide on the measures to be included in the action plan and it is good to see resources being targeted to support our efforts to tackle traffic related pollution in the village”.

 

Contact: Richard Morris, Communications Manager
Email: richard.morris@horsham.gov.uk