Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Members of the public are being invited to share their views on the air quality in certain parts of Llanelli and Carmarthen. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Environmental Health and Licensing team have launched a consultation to gather feedback from people on a proposed Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). The Environment Act 1995 places a duty on local authorities to monitor, review, and assess air quality across its area, and to take steps to improve air quality in places where people live. For over 20 years the council has monitored nitrogen dioxide, a traffic-related pollutant, across the county. During 2012-14 the levels of nitrogen dioxide levels exceeded the National Air Quality Objectives (AQO) in certain areas around both towns. Although this will not cause immediate short term health impacts, the authority has a legal duty to try and improve air quality where breaches are identified. The proposed Air Quality Management Area will identify the extent of the poor air qualit...

Councillors concerned about the air quality in Llandeilo have agreed to write to the Welsh Assembly Government expressing their concern over the delay in building a bypass for the town. The council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee received a report on the increasing levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in Llandeilo town over the last few years, to the extent that the air quality objective for NO2 has been breached. Head of public protection Philip Davies told members that as a result of this a detailed assessment had been carried out. It showed that seven locations along Rhosmaen Street were likely to exceed the annual mean objective level of 40μg/m3. He said it would now be necessary to designate an Air Quality Management Area, (AQMA) within the town and this would include a full public consultation, followed by more detailed work and an action plan. He said: “The high levels of NO2 in Llandeilo is caused by large traffic flows combined with low speed of traffic. It is also a narrow stre...