Air quality

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Baseline

Air quality is generally good in the area, however, there are areas of poor air quality around the proposed scheme. There is one Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) within 200m of the proposed scheme, located at the Air Balloon roundabout, known as the Birdlip AQMA.

There are a further 7 AQMA’s within the wider road network outside of the construction footprint.

AQMAs are areas which the local authority has identified as requiring management to achieve desired air quality objectives and to protect health. Birdlip AQMA suffers from poor air quality as a result of traffic emissions from vehicles using the existing road. Air quality at the Crickley Hill and Barrow Wake Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is below the critical air quality levels defined for the SSSI.

Construction

During construction, potential air quality effects may arise from emissions of construction dust and particulate matter. These emissions could occur as a result of the proposed construction activities such as demolition and earthworks. The quantities of emissions depend on the scale and intensity of the construction works. Best practice mitigation measures to reduce effects from construction dust would be used. These measures typically include dust suppression techniques and road sweeping.

Preliminary construction assessment

• No likely significant effects are anticipated during construction due to emissions of dust from construction activities.

Operation

During the operational phase, potential air quality effects may arise from emissions of pollutants from vehicles using the road network. The proposed scheme would change the traffic flows on roads in the wider surrounding area. This would result in changes to pollutant emissions from vehicle traffic on the affected roads and thus changes in pollutant concentrations at nearby sensitive locations.

There are no predicted exceedances of the air quality objectives in the opening year. Where increases in pollutant concentrations do occur as a result of the proposed scheme these are considered to be negligible. The proposed scheme improves air quality at a number of locations nearby, in particular at the Air Balloon roundabout and the properties known as Air Balloon cottages which make up the Birdlip AQMA. The proposed scheme moves the road away from receptors in this area and improvements to traffic flow are predicted.

Ecological receptors are not predicted to experience any significant effects as a result of the proposed scheme. Large improvements have been predicted to occur at the Crickley Hill and Barrow Wake SSSI. Air quality is predicted to improve at these locations as the existing A417 is moved away from these receptor locations and the congestion on the A417 is improved.

Preliminary operation assessment

• No likely significant impacts to local air quality are predicted to occur as a result of the proposed scheme.
• Air quality would likely be improved at properties in the Birdlip AQMA and at ecological receptors close to the proposed scheme.
• The proposed scheme would likely not impact the predicted date of compliance of roads in the study area with legally binding limit value.