Basildon Air Quality
Air quality
Air pollution is a term for the different types of pollution in the air around us, while air quality is the extent to which the air in a particular area is pollution-free.
Historically, the main air pollution problem was high levels of smoke and sulphur dioxide caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, used for domestic and industrial purposes. Today, however, the biggest threat to clean air is road traffic, making up an estimated 55% of nitrogen dioxide emissions in Essex.
Petrol and diesel vehicles emit a variety of pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen (NOx). The majority of NOx emitted is in the form of nitric oxide (NO). When NO reacts with other gases present in the air, it can form nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is harmful to health.
Pollutants from vehicles can travel long distances and have a huge impact on our lives and the environment around us.
In Basildon, almost 6% of all deaths (people aged over 30) each year can be attributed to air pollution. Longer term exposure can increase your risk of lung cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease, while even short-term exposure to high levels of air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, affect lung function and increase hospital admissions.
Did you know?
About 40,000 deaths a year in the UK are attributable to outdoor air pollution.
What is the problem?
Air pollution, mainly caused by vehicles on the roads, is having a harmful effect on the health of people living, visiting and working in parts of Basildon and must be addressed.
Engine technology is improving and emissions from vehicles will gradually fall as people buy newer, less polluting vehicles, but this is not happening quickly enough to protect the children growing up in Basildon right now. Therefore, we were directed by Government to take action to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution and make improvements to air quality.
Air quality is a problem across many areas of the UK and is certainly not unique to Basildon. In fact, air quality in the borough is generally good (read Basildon Council’s Air Quality Annual Status Report on the EssexAir website to find out more).
However, the Basildon Enterprise Corridor is a busy business area and a through-route for many vehicles, with congestion issues worsening the air quality problems caused by vehicle emissions.
In 2018, locations on a stretch of the A127 and two areas to the south of it (notably in East Mayne) in Basildon were identified as exceeding legal limits for nitrogen dioxide, as set by European Air Quality Directive, which assesses exposure at roadside locations.
Essex County Council and Basildon Borough Council were subsequently directed by Government to take action and had a legal obligation to make air quality in Basildon compliant in the shortest possible time.
What have we done about it?
In 2018, Essex County Council and Basildon Borough Council were directed by Government to improve air quality on the A127 as quickly as possible and a new 50mph speed limit was introduced in January 2020 to help tackle the issue.
They were also directed to carry out further analysis to establish what measures would be needed to bring air quality to within legal levels as soon as possible in East Mayne and protect pedestrians and cyclists, in particular, who were exposed to high levels of air pollution.
In 2022, we relocated the shared pedestrian/cyclist crossing route in East Mayne to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution at the roadside.
Despite these actions, our latest monitoring data (as presented in the latest Basildon Air Quality Management Plan Annual Monitoring Report, which is available from the documents section at the bottom of this page) shows there are remaining locations on the A127 and East Mayne where the legal limit for nitrogen dioxide at the roadside is still exceeded.
Air quality shouldgradually improve over time and the latest data shows a general reduction in nitrogen dioxide concentrations. Monitoring will continue until after the legal limits have been achieved.
For information regarding air quality in other areas of Essex, please visit www.essexair.org.uk.
A127 speed limit reduction
A new 50mph speed limit was introduced on a stretch of the A127 in Basildon in January 2020 to improve air quality and road safety. Tests showed that a stretch of the road between east and west Basildon exceeded national air quality safe limits for nitrogen dioxide.
The new 50mph limit is in place on both carriageways between the existing 40mph speed limit near the Fortune of War roundabout and approximately 470m east of the Pound Lane (westbound)/Cranfield Park Road (eastbound) junctions.
Vehicles’ engines work more efficiently at about 50mph than 70mph, producing fewer emissions from their exhausts. Reducing speeds from 70mph to 50mph can, therefore, reduce harmful emissions by up to 20 per cent, as well as improving journey time reliability.
Since the new speed limit was implemented, pollutant emissions on the A127 have reduced, contributing to lower monitored nitrogen dioxide concentrations.
East Mayne Air Quality Scheme
This scheme involved relocating the shared pedestrian and cycle route on East Mayne away from the central reservation to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution.
Our technical work showed this measure, which was approved by the Government, would result in compliance with legal air quality levels at this location, while avoiding any disproportionate impact on residents and businesses.
Works started in November 2021 and included the installation of a new toucan crossing, the construction of an improved shared-use footway/cycleway on the west side of East Mayne and changes to existing traffic signals, crossings, kerb works and landscaping.
Innovative new air quality and traffic sensors were also installed to provide greater insights about volumes and modes of transport, as well as live pollution concentration data.
The majority of the works were completed in February 2022, however high friction surfacing works on East Mayne and Christopher Martin Road had to be rescheduled due to poor weather conditions and were finished in June 2022.
The video below shows the A132 East Mayne following the completion of the scheme.
Previous crossings layout
New crossings layout
What else is being done to improve air quality in Basildon?
Various schemes and initiatives have been developed and delivered in recent years to help improve overall air quality in the Basildon areas and encourage a shift to safer, greener and healthier travel and transport, while a number of others are planned.
The projects and initatives have included:
What you can do to help
Active travel makes people happier and healthier. That's why we want to make walking, cycling and wheeling a part of everyday life.
By giving people a choice in how they travel, we'll also be freeing up the roads for those that really have to use them. Our streets will become less busy and congested, leading to improved air quality. We'll also become healthier both physically and mentally.
As part of our Safer, Greener, Healthier campaign, we are delivering, supporting and funding various initiatives and projects across Essex to help encourage increased walking, cycling and scooting. These include the introduction of new walking and cycling routes, as well as trialling e-scooters, working with Essex businesses to help them prepare and implement effective active travel plans and working with schools to make the roads around them safer and healthier.
In 2023, Essex Pedal Power was launched in Basildon, providing an opportunity for eligible people to get a free bike and accessories, as well as a range of wider cycling opportunities for all Basildon residents, such as access to free cycling training, bike maintenance sessions, bike repair and social bike rides.
Could you swap some car journeys to cycling, walking or public transport, especially for shorter trips?
If travelling differently isn’t an option, could you consider a hybrid or electric vehicle when next replacing your car?
Impacts of air pollution
Health
Both the World Health Organisation and Public Health England recognise poor air quality as the largest known environmental risk to public health. In total, about 40,000 deaths a year in the UK are attributable to outdoor air pollution (Source: ‘Every breath we take – the lifelong impact of air pollution’ - Royal College of Physicians, and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2016).
In Basildon, almost 6% of all deaths (people aged over 30) each year can be attributed to air pollution, which is slightly higher than the national average, while many more people suffer with various health conditions caused or contributed to by polluted air.
Longer term exposure to air pollution can increase your risk of lung cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease. There are also suggestions it can increase the likelihood of you developing Type 2 diabetes and dementia. It is also thought likely that exposure to air pollutants increases the likelihood or severity of COVID-19 infection.
Even short-term exposure to high levels of air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, affect lung function and increase hospital admissions. In the Basildon and Brentwood area, 16,675 people suffer from asthma.
Air pollution, in particular nitrogen dioxide, is damaging to the health of all of us but particularly young children and those with existing heart and lung problems.
There are also links between exposure to high levels of air pollution and low birth weight and reduced lung function, while it can even result in premature birth or pregnancy loss.
Economy
Health problems resulting from exposure to air pollution have a high cost to people who suffer from associated illnesses, our health services and businesses, and are estimated to cost the UK about £20 billion every year (Source: ‘Every breath we take – the lifelong impact of air pollution’ - Royal College of Physicians, and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2016).
Air pollution particularly threatens economic growth by impacting upon people of working age. If staff have to take days off work because of air pollution-related illnesses, then businesses and the economy suffer.
It also affects productivity and results in significant costs to the NHS – money which could otherwise be spent on treating other illnesses.
Environment
Air pollution is responsible for significant damage to the natural environment.
Nitrogen dioxide contributes to the pollution of soil and watercourses, which impacts on animal and plant life, as well as biodiversity in sensitive habitats. Road traffic emissions also contribute to local ozone production, which has health impacts and damages agricultural crops, forests and plants.
Questions and Answers
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Air pollution in Basildon
Monitoring indicates that locations on the A127 and East Mayne in Basildon are exceeding legal limits for nitrogen dioxide - a harmful gas caused by vehicle emissions.
The Basildon Enterprise Corridor is a busy business area and a through-route for many vehicles, with high volumes of traffic, congestion issues and queuing traffic worsening the air quality problems caused by vehicle emissions.
The UK Government reports to the European Commission on its compliance with the European Air Quality Directive, which assesses exposure at roadside locations. In 2017, the UK’s failure to comply with the directive within agreed timescales prompted the Government to produce a National Air Quality Plan to deal with nitrogen dioxide emissions in the shortest possible timeframe. It identified three roadside locations along the A127 as likely to be non-compliant with the directive for nitrogen dioxide beyond 2020, two in Basildon and one in Rochford.
Further detailed assessment in 2018 confirmed locations in Rochford to be compliant with the directive and locations in Basildon to be non-compliant, with additional non-compliance identified to the south of the A127 in East Mayne (A132) and Upper Mayne (A176). In order to comply with the directive in the shortest possible time, Essex County Council and Basildon Borough Council were directed by Government to develop an Air Quality Management Plan.
Monitoring continues to be undertaken at key locations.
Air quality is a problem across many areas of the UK and is certainly not unique to Basildon. In fact, according to local air pollution monitoring, air quality in Basildon is meeting UK Air Quality Objectives - a national system which assesses pollution exposure where people live. Unlike many other places in the UK, there has not been the need to declare any air quality management areas – local areas which consistently exceed Air Quality Objectives.
For more information about air quality in Basildon, read Basildon Borough Council's latest Air Quality Annual Status Report.
Essex County Council and Basildon Borough Council were directed by Government to improve air quality on the A127 as quickly as possible and a new 50mph speed limit was introduced in 2020 to tackle the issue. They were also directed to carry out further analysis to establish what measures would be needed to bring air quality to within legal limits in the shortest possible time, such as the measure on East Mayne.
A127 speed limit reduction
Three locations along the A127 route in Basildon Borough and Rochford District were identified by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) model in 2017 as likely to be exceeding national air quality thresholds which is why it is being tackled as a priority area.
We undertook further testing in April 2018, which found that no exceedances were identified in Rochford District. However, part of the A127 north of Basildon was identified as exceeding legal limits and additional exceedances were identified in East Mayne.
Reducing speeds from 70mph to 50mph can reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions from car exhausts by up to 20 per cent, as well as improving road safety and journey time reliability. Since the implementation of the new speed limit, pollutant emissions from vehicles have reduced, resulting in lower monitored nitrogen dioxide concentrations.
Vehicles’ engines work more efficiently at about 50mph; vehicles driving below 50mph and above 55mph produce more emissions from their exhausts. While traffic is often slower than 50mph at peak times, having a consistently lower speed limit helps to improve journey time reliability by smoothing the traffic flow, because it reduces the number of times vehicles have to stop and start again. This in turn reduces the time traffic is stationary or moving slowly in queues, and has an air quality benefit as vehicles’ engines emit the most NO2 emissions when they are switched on but not moving or moving slowly (that is why it is so important not to leave your engine running when you are parked).
Vehicles travelling at 50mph produce up to 20 per cent less nitrogen oxide pollution from their exhausts than vehicles travelling at 70mph. That helps improve overall air quality, regardless of the time of day or what the traffic conditions are.
We are using average speed cameras as they have been proven to be very effective in reducing the speed of vehicles.
East Mayne scheme
The scheme involved relocating a pedestrian and cycle route in East Mayne away from the central reservation to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution at the roadside when using the shared-use footway/cycleway.
Our technical work showed this measure would result in compliance with legal air quality levels at this location, while avoiding any disproportionate impact on residents and businesses.
We investigated a series of options and scenarios to see whether they could potentially address the air quality exceedance in East Mayne. These included engineering options, low emission measures and, at the direction of the Government, a charging clean air zone – to act as a benchmark against which all options must be measured.
We collected and assessed a significant amount of information to ensure we could present the required evidence to Government about the likely impact of any potential schemes. This included capturing data from Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras about traffic movements and some initial engagement with businesses to get a better understanding of their vehicles and operations. This information, together with what we already knew about air quality and traffic in the area, enabled us to use computer models to predict the expected impact of the various measures.
In August 2020, the Government, which is funding the project and has been independently verifying all of the work through its Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU), advised it was satisfied there was sufficient evidence for a preferred option to be identified and instructed us to prepare a business case for the scheme.
The scheme has reduced people’s exposure to poor air quality by providing a safer alternative route away from the central reservation and also complements wider initiatives to improve air quality throughout Basildon.
While we acknowledge that our scheme causes some inconvenience to some pedestrians and cyclists, particularly those travelling between the Sainsbury’s store and the Nevendon junction, crucially it reduces people’s exposure to air pollution in the worst affected section of the central reservation. Various options to relocate the crossings were considered, including two which included pedestrian/cycle crossings on the eastern side of East Mayne, closer to the roundabout to the north, however our technical work concluded these would result in traffic queuing back onto the A127, which would have a negative impact on air quality and would be a road safety risk. These options were therefore discounted.
More than 40 other options were considered to reduce the number of more polluting vehicles using East Mayne and, therefore, resolve the air quality exceedances in the shortest possible time. However, our studies have showed they would not be sufficiently effective, would take longer to implement, be too difficult to evidence or would have a disproportionate impact on residents and businesses.
Among the other options were:
- Travel demand management - A marketing-led behaviour change campaign to encourage people to switch to cleaner vehicles and use more sustainable modes of travel such as walking, cycling and buses.
- Commercial vehicle upgrade grants - Working with businesses in the Basildon Enterprise Corridor to upgrade their lorries and vans, which are some of the largest contributors to nitrogen dioxide in the area. Grants could also have been available to incentivise the upgrades.
- Strategic re-routing - Installing road signage to highlight pollution levels and direct non-compliant lorries using East Mayne as a through-route to use alternative routes
- Charging clean air zone (CAZ) - The Government directed us to prepare a case for a charging clean air zone to provide a benchmark, against which other options could be compared.
Charging clean air zone
A charging CAZ is a designated area that vehicle owners are charged for driving within if their vehicle fails to meet certain emission standards. They work on the basis that the charge would encourage a proportion of people to upgrade to cleaner vehicles and deter others with higher emission vehicles from driving in the zone.
The charging CAZ that was used as a benchmark was a class C, meaning that private cars and motorbikes would not have been charged. Affected vehicles would have been required to pay the charge only if they did not comply with the following Euro emissions standards: Diesel – Euro 6 (most new registrations after 1 September 2015), Petrol – Euro 4 (most new registrations after 1 January 2006).
Based on the charging CAZ we were directed to consider, the CAZ would have been in place in an area south of the A127 between East Mayne and Upper Mayne, including Cranes Farm Road.
The Government directed us to prepare a case for a charging clean air zone to provide a benchmark, against which other options could be compared. The expectation is that any other alternative measure must address the air quality exceedances in a similar or quicker timescale.
Our studies concluded that a charging CAZ would take longer to implement and, therefore, could not result in compliance with legal air quality limits in the shortest possible time.
We know there are also significant concerns about the disproportionate impact a charging CAZ would have on businesses and residents. We share those concerns, which is another reason we were committed to fully exploring all possible alternatives.