Environmental Information Regulations 2004
Information Request: 5281596
Date of Request: 03 October 2016
Date of Disclosure: 31 October 2016
Request and Response
Please find Devon County Council’s response to each of your questions below;
I hereby request that you provide details of your planned funding / budget
allocation for carrying out Air Quality Improvements to all defined Air
Quality Management Areas throughout Devon. Additionally can you
provide a full breakdown of the allocated or ring fenced funding for each
current Air Quality Action Plan throughout Devon.
The County Council recently presented a
report to its Place Scrutiny Committee,
which included a list of interventions that are being taken at international, national
and local government levels with the aim of collectively improving air quality. The
County Council has an important transportation role encouraging behavioural
change (i.e. mode shift) and delivering infrastructure that will help manage
increasing congestion. There is a table in the report that sets out how NO2
emissions have changed since 2010 levels and it is evident across the County
that overall NO2 levels have been on the decline.
There is no allocated or ring-fenced funding to specifically address air quality
action plans; however, for 2016/17 there is a transport capital programme and a
sustainable transport transition fund revenue programme, details of which are
provided below:
Devon’s Transport Capital Programme 2016/17
Attached is a copy of this year’
s transport capital programme, which amounts to
£29.777m of schemes.
The capital programme includes funding commitments for a range of
infrastructure projects that will encourage increased levels of walking and cycling
for shorter distance and leisure trips and greater use of public transport – this has
the aim of reducing peoples’ reliance on the private car, which can help manage
congestion in the most problematic areas. The programme also includes a
number of highway schemes (link roads / junction upgrades), which aim to ease
the flow of traffic and reduce queuing and delays which can contribute to
improved air quality in combination with other international and national
interventions.
Sustainable Transport Transition Fund
Earlier this year, Devon County Council secured £500,000 to deliver a
programme of activities working with schools, employers and communities within
the growth areas of Exeter, Teignbridge and North Devon. The programme
focuses on promoting more active journeys so that the number of walking and
cycling journeys to work and education will increase in the long term.
If you wish to speak with someone regarding the above request, please contact
the Information Governance Team on 01392 384678 or email
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx