Bradford claims questionable success from watered-down CAZ

28/09/2023 | CHRIS AMES

Bradford Council has celebrated questionable success in its struggle to demonstrate compliance with the legal limit for toxic air pollution in the Air Quality Directive.

The authority published a graph (below) showing what it said was the average monthly NO2 levels for five ‘automatic’ sites within the CAZ dating back to September 2018.

Under the Air Quality Directive, which came into force in 2010, an annual level above  40 µg/m3 at any site is a breach of the legal limit and local authorities are not entitled to average data from different sites to bring the level below the legal limit.

Nevertheless, the graph issued by Bradford Council included a green line, representing the ‘legal limit’, with the average for the five sites below that line for the majority of the time.

A spokesperson for Bradford Council told Highways that the graph ‘is not intended to provide details on compliance with the air quality directive but to visually demonstrate the downward trend of our 5 accurate monitoring stations which are within the CAZ across the time period’.

However, it is not obvious from the graph that pollution levels in 2023 were lower than for large parts of 2022.

The highway authority issued a press release last week asserting that it had achieved the ‘lowest levels of air pollution ever’ since it introduced a ‘Class C +’ Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which does not charge private cars last September.

The claim appears to be based on a single month, July 2023, with a monthly average of 20 µg/m3, after which the level rose to 25 µg/m3 – the same level it reached in July of last year.

A press statement from the council attributed ‘significant improvements in air quality levels’ to businesses and transport operators using council grants to upgrade their vehicles to prepare for the CAZ.

The council stated that Market Street in the city centre is showing levels of Nitrogen Dioxide NO2 down from 45 in 2021 to 39 in 2022.

It pointed out that this was ‘below the legal limit’ of 40 µg/m3, which is the average annual mean limit.

The council has not disclosed the data from the 5 individual ‘automatic’ monitoring stations.

These sites were almost all compliant with the average legal limits in 2021. According to the council’s 2021/2022 Air Quality Annual Status Report, in 2021 there was one exceedance of the annual average NO2 objective at an automatic site.

The report notes however that there were 10 exceedances of the annual average nitrogen dioxide objective at passive diffusion tube monitoring sites in 2021. Data from these sites is not included in the graph.

Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: ‘The number of non-compliant vehicles has fallen due to vehicles upgrades and changes to fleet composition, this improves air quality not just in Bradford but throughout West Yorkshire.’

This appears however to refer only to chargeable vehicles such as taxis, vans and lorries, with cars that do not comply with the same emissions standards allowed into the zone without charge.

Cllr Hinchcliffe (second from left) celebrates the launch of the watered-down CAZ last year

The council told Highways last year that although the legal limit would be met quicker by charging passengers cars, it ‘pushed back on this’.

The authority claimed that providing assistance to convert taxis (a Class C + CAZ) means that it can meet the limit as quickly as if it charged private cars.

However, the law requires authorities to meet the limit in the shortest possible time, which would appear to require both measures to be used in parallel, not as alternatives.

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Senior Civil Engineer - Major Projects x 4

£45,894.00 - £54,952.00
We are looking for experienced engineers to help us progress a number of key projects and programmes Glasgow, Glasgow City
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Technician - Maintenance

£31001.0000 - £36471.0000 per annum
Essex Highways is responsible for managing and maintaining one of the largest highway networks in the country
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Highways Contract Engineer

£46,731 - £49,764
The team helps provide a safe road network that operates efficiently and effectively.  Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Principal Transport Planner

£46,731 - £49,764 (pro-rata)
We are looking for an experienced professional to join us on a six-month temporary contact as a Principal Transport Planner. Kettering, Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Highways Maintenance Operative

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Highways Maintenance Operative Broughton, Brigg
Recruiter: Amey

Head of Highways Contracts & Network

£81,803 progressing to £90,664 per annum
The team includes approximately 60 directly employed HCC people Hertfordshire
Recruiter: Hertfordshire County Council

Principal Construction Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Principal Construction Manager Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Quality Technician

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Quality Technician Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)

£42679.0000 - £50211.0000 per annum
Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)Permanent, Full Time£43,960 to £51,718 per annum*Location
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Project Manager (Major Projects)

£44,711 - £47,754
Are you an experienced project professional or engineer with looking to take the next step in your career? Halifax, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Senior Civil Engineer - Roads

£45,894 - £54,952
Are you an experienced engineer looking to support the Scottish Government’s national objectives. Scotland
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Senior Civil Engineering Technician

Grade 7 £29,093 to £32,654 per annum
We are looking for a flexible individual who has the ability to meet targets and analyse and resolve complex technical problems and formulate a design Durham
Recruiter: Durham County Council

Project Team Manager

£55,147 to £60,676 per annum
We are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for a role as Design Team Manager Norwich, Norfolk
Recruiter: Norfolk County Council

Clerk of Works

GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Assistant Projects Engineer

GRADE 06 (£29,093 - £32,654),GRADE 07 (£33,366 - £37,035), GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Principal Engineer - Traffic Management

£45,718 - £48,710 per annum
At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives. Bath, Somerset
Recruiter: Bath & North East Somerset Council

Vehicle Technician - Improver

£28,624 - £30,060
Transport Services is responsible for all aspects of transport and related services Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Programme Delivery Office Administrator

Grade 9 £31,344 - £33,253 per annum
At Derbyshire, we have been on a journey to transform the way we deliver highway services to make them fit for the future Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Support Officer - Highways Asset Management Systems

£31,586 - £34,314
We are a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to maintaining and improving our highway infrastructure. Lincolnshire
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Principal Transport Planner (Strategy)

£46,731-£49,764
We are looking for an experienced professional to join North Northamptonshire Council as a Principal Transport Planner (Strategy). Sheerness House, 41 Meadow Road, Kettering moving to Haylock House, Kettering Parkway, Kettering NN15 6EY, United Kingdom
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW