Partnership Working
7.3 The Government is looking to local authorities to work together to identify where pollution levels are greatest and to propose measures which will reduce this level of pollution. This approach was echoed in the LTP Guidance by the statement “Local authorities responsible for local air quality management should integrate Air Quality Action Plans, where transport is the primary factor, into the Local Transport Plan covering their area.” This is especially important in 'two tier' areas, like Kent, where the local transport authorities should work in partnership with districts to develop the most cost-effective solutions to air quality problems. Kent County Council has been working with partners since 1992 through the Kent and Medway Air Quality Partnership to co-ordinate, among other work, the statutory duty on the Districts to monitor and review air quality and declare Air Quality Management Areas where necessary.
7.4 The Kent and Medway Air Quality Partnership was initially established to discuss general air quality issues and provide a co-ordinated approach for dealing with major planning applications for incinerators and power stations in North Kent.This has proved invaluable in terms of providing information about air quality in the County.
7.5 In April 1997, the Kent Air Quality Monitoring network was launched to provide information on air quality across the County. The network consists of 32 continuous monitoring sites and over 400 diffusion tubes measuring nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, ozone and carbon monoxide. All data is available on the Kent and Medway Air Quality Monitoring network website www.kentair.org.uk. The aim of the website is to make information on air pollution levels across the County as clear and accessible as possible. A number of network and other relevant reports are available for viewing or downloading. The District Councils have included the most recent reports undertaken for the Review and Assessment reports. Links are provided which take you to web sites and fact sheets containing a wealth of information about air pollution and provides tips on what you can do to help improve air quality.
Figure 7.1 Air Quality Monitoring
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