Air quality concerns

Updates on air quality for Glasgow have been produced and circulated to local residents and community groups in the last week. I received information provided as part of the Council's monitoring arrangements for air quality which are reported to the Scottish Government, on an annual basis.

Byres Road is part of an Air Quality Management Area and regular concerns about air pollution are raised by residents who live close by or make visits for shopping, socialising and work.

Site of the air quality monitoring unit at junction of Byres Road/Highburgh Road.

In terms of the national air quality objective level for NO2 concentrations, the results for 2010 show that this objective is consistently being exceeded at the monitoring unit, and at the diffusion tube in Queen Margaret Drive.

It has been identified by the Council that the Byres Road//Dumbarton Road's Air Quality Management Area should be extended further north into Queen Margaret Drive.

Taxi queue up along Byres Road from Iceland to Hillhead Library.

During discussions with council officials about how NO2 concentrations can be reduced, the issue of the need to stop cars idling in Byres Road, particularly taxis, has been flagged up. It is expected that council officials will visit to check for idling vehicles as part of their work in the next few months.

Due to the air pollution issues that persist, a further investigation by the council into a pedestrianised area within Byres Road is being suggested.

The Council is proposing to declare an Air Quality Management Area covering the entire city in terms of the 2010 PM10 annual mean objective.

Useful links:-

Council's Air Quality Action Plan - http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Environment/Pollution/Air/LocalAirQualityManagement.htm