East Suffolk Council
Open consultation - Woodbridge AQMA
Consultation on air quality improvements in Woodbridge
We would like to invite you to view and comment on a new air quality report for the Woodbridge Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) which recommends that this AQMA should now be revoked. You can view a summary of the Woodbridge AQMA Revocation Assessment. The full report can be viewed within Appendix G of our 2021 Annual Status Report
The Woodbridge AQMA was declared in 2006 for exceedance of the annual mean nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air quality objective (set at 40 μg/m3). The Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) published for the AQMA considered 79 options with 20 put forward for potential implementation.
NO2 concentrations within the AQMA began to fall in 2006, and from 2014 have now been below the air quality objective for seven consecutive years. Following instruction from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), a revocation assessment was undertaken to confirm whether revocation is the correct course of action for the AQMA. This was sent to Defra within the 2021 Air Quality Annual Status Report for the district.
The assessment considers national, regional and local factors and predicts future NO2 concentrations within the AQMA for a 5-year period using both 2019 and 2020 measurements. It concludes that there is confidence the Woodbridge AQMA can be revoked and recommends that this should happen in line with Defra requirements.
The findings of this assessment have received approval from Defra, who advised that East Suffolk Council should now proceed with the revocation.
These findings were discussed by East Suffolk Council’s Cabinet on 3 May 2022, and it was unanimously agreed to proceed with a public consultation regarding the revocation.
Your views count
We are now seeking, and would welcome, comments on the assessment report and the intention of the Council to revoke the Woodbridge AQMA.
You can email your views and comments to environmental.protection@eastsuffolk.gov.uk or send them to Environmental Protection at the Council’s Offices, East Suffolk House, Riduna Park, Station Road, Melton, Woodbridge IP12 1RT. Please include the words “Woodbridge AQMA” in the subject line of your email/letter.
We may not be able to reply directly to every consultation response, but please be assured all comments received will be taken into account in the final decision. Responses will be anonymised and published (in summary format if necessary).
The final date for return of comments on the revocation is Monday 11th July 2022.