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Publication - Strategy/plan

Cleaner air for Scotland: the road to a healthier future

Published
4 November 2015
Directorate
Environment and Forestry Directorate
Topic
Environment and climate change
ISBN
9781785446177

A strategy setting out the Scottish Government's proposals for delivering further improvements to air quality.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

14. List of Actions

# Action Deliver Organisation 15/16 16/17 17/18 18/19 19/20 Funding
COMMUNICATION
Advice and information to key audiences on air quality
C1 A Scottish Air Quality Indicator will be developed which will assist in assessing compliance with air quality legislation and delivery of CAFS objectives. SG and framework contractor* • ⎫*
C2 CAFS will support the ongoing Greener Scotland communication campaigns, encouraging individuals to use the car less to improve their health and their local environment. SG/TS • - +
C3 A national air quality public awareness campaign will be developed. HPS/SG/TS • • • • • ⎫
LEGISLATION AND POLICY
Local and national air quality management
LP1 A refocused Local Air Quality Management system will be implemented. SG • • • • ⎫
LP2 A PM 2.5 monitoring network will be established. SG • ⎫
LP3 Revised and updated Scottish action plans will be produced to demonstrate how compliance with the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive will be achieved. SG • ⎫
National Modelling Framework and National Low Emission Framework
LP4 Design, develop and implement a two-level modelling system for regional and local scales to provide evidence for appraising and identifying potential transport and planning solutions to local air quality issues. SG/TS/SEPA • -
LP5 Evaluate the requirements of a regional model and then support its development during the first two years of implementing CAFS. SG/TS/SEPA -
LP6 Develop guidance and promote a support network for all practitioners involved in reviewing and assessing local impacts on air quality resulting from regional decision making. SG/TS/SEPA • ⎫
LP7 Undertake detailed modelling of all four major cities and associated adjoining spaces in Scotland, covering areas associated with highest levels of poor air quality. SG/TS/SEPA • ⎫
LP8 Identify requirements and undertake data collection requirements for additional urban areas within three years of implementing CAFS. SG/TS/SEPA • • ⎫
LP9 Implement the national databases for traffic data collection and local modelling outputs associated with CAFS. SG/TS/SEPA • • ⎫
LP10 By April 2016, in further consultation with partner organisations, the NLEF criteria, tests, and processes will be developed, agreed, and finalised. SG/TS/SEPA ⎫
LP11 A standard appraisal process will be designed and implemented for assessing local air quality measures. SG/TS/SEPA • -
LP12 Develop the software tools and associated guidance for the NLEF, including funding options and technical reports, that will underpin the evidence on effectiveness of options. SG/TS/SEPA ⎫
HEALTH
Protection of human health
H1 World Health Organization guideline values for PM 10 and PM 2.5 will be included in legislation as Scottish objectives. SG • ⎫
H2 NHS boards and their local authority partners will include reference to air quality and health in the next revision of their Joint Health Protection Plans, which should identify and address specific local priority issues. HBs -
TRANSPORT
Avoiding travel
T1 All local authorities should ensure that they have a corporate travel plan (perhaps within a carbon management plan) which is consistent with any local air quality action plan. LA -
Active travel
T2 We will finalise and deliver the National Walking Strategy Delivery Plan by 2016. TS ⎫
T3 We will work with partners to deliver our shared vision in the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland that by 2020, 10% of everyday journeys will be made by bike. TS/LA • ⎫
Public transport
T4 Review support for green buses will be reviewed by 2016 including scope for supporting retrofitting existing vehicles, taking account of technological and market developments and the need to tackle air quality as well as climate change. TS ⎫
T5 Evaluate the Bus Investment Fund in 2016 to learn from supported projects and inform decisions on options for future support for local projects to improve public transport. TS • ⎫
T6 The Bus Operators Grant will be reviewed by 2016 including options to incentivise the use of low emission buses. TS ⎫
T7 By 2016, review guidance and legislation on the powers of local transport authorities regarding bus service to see if they could be made more effective and to ensure enough priority is given to air quality alongside other considerations. TS • -
Low Emission Vehicles
T8 Continue delivery of actions contained in Switched On Scotland: A Roadmap to Widespread Adoption of Plug-In Vehicles. TS • • ⎫
T9 Review the Roadmap and develop a post-2015 plug-in vehicle action plan. TS/SG • -
T10 Work with key partners to investigate the use of hydrogen as a transport fuel, as well as exploring wider environmental and economic opportunities of using hydrogen for energy applications – especially in promoting renewables, energy balancing and storage. TS • -
T11 Continue to engage with our partners on the role less carbon intensive fuels such as liquid petroleum gas, compressed natural gas and biofuels can play in the transition to a near zero emission road transport sector by 2050. TS • • -
Freight
T12 Encourage each local authority with an AQMA to create a Freight Quality Partnership (or utilise an existing RTP Freight Quality Partnership) and consider appropriate measures for local air quality improvement by 2017. LAs/ RTPs/ TS -
T13 Encourage Freight Quality Partnerships to extend their activities to include consideration of the environmental impact of freight transport. SG/TS ⎫
Regional and Local Transport Partnerships
T14 Review existing Ministerial guidance on Regional and Local Transport Strategies during 2016 in the light of the refreshed National Transport Strategy. In doing so, we will consider how:

  • air quality management should be addressed and how

  • RTPs and local authorities should use their transport strategies to support modal shift towards sustainable and active travel, including through Smarter Choices initiatives, and promote the take up of greener vehicles.
 TS/RTP -
Air Quality Management Areas and the trunk road network
T15 Trunk road impacts on AQMAs will be reviewed and implement mitigation where trunk roads are the primary contributor to air pollutants. TS • ⎫
PLACEMAKING
Contribution of placemaking to air quality improvements
P1 Ensure that future updates and revisions to Scottish Planning Policy and the National Planning Framework will take account of CAFS. SG • ⎫
P2 Expect planning authorities to review the Local Development Plan and revise at the next scheduled update to ensure policies are consistent with CAFS objectives and any local authority air quality action plans. SG • ⎫
P3 Work with Environmental Protection Scotland to produce updated guidance on air quality and planning. SG • ⎫
P4 Work with SEPA to introduce air quality training for local authority spatial and transport planners. SG • ⎫
P5 Support SEPA in revising its guidance on Strategic Environmental Assessment to bring it into line with CAFS. SG ⎫
CLIMATE CHANGE
Effective co-ordination of climate change and air quality policies to deliver co-benefits
CC1 Ensure that future updates to the ‘Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting Our Emissions Reduction Targets’ publication on meeting our climate change targets take into account air quality impacts. SG • -
CC2 Expect any Scottish local authority which has or is currently developing a Sustainable Energy Action Plan to ensure that air quality considerations are covered. SG/LA • -
CC3 The Forestry Commission Scotland will publish updated guidance on the impact of biomass on air quality to help local authorities fulfil their statutory responsibilities. FCS • • ⎫

Table 5. List of CAFS actions across the six objectives

* Funding embedded in current policy

+Funding options in development

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