A critical evaluation of local air quality management and its contribution to meeting the EU annual mean nitrogen dioxide limit value

PhD researcher

Dr Jo Barnes

Supervisors

Professor Jim Longhurst and Professor Enda Hayes

Introduction

The UK Government has failed to meet 2005 EU air quality limit values for particulate matter (PM₁₀) and looks set to breach 2010 limit values for nitrogen dioxide. In addition to national actions (for example, incentivising cleaner fuels), one of the Government’s main strategies for meeting the requirements of the EU Air Quality Framework Directive (1996/62/EC) is through the implementation of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) Review and Assessment, as laid out under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995.

Research aims

This research will draw on the extensive body of evidence provided by the Review and Assessment process between the completion of Round 1 (2001) and Round 3 (2009) (Figure 2) to establish whether Air Quality Action Plans (AQAPs) have been effective in achieving their aims and in improving air quality at a local level. The aim of this research is therefore to evaluate the degree of success achieved through individual AQAPs in order to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the LAQM regime as a national strategy to assist in meeting the EU air quality legislative requirements. The research objectives are therefore:

• Objective 1: Determine whether there has been any change in the concentration of pollutants in Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) declared in Round 1 of Review and Assessment.
• Objective 2: Evaluate whether the measures included in the AQAPs produced following Round 1 are being achieved.
• Objective 3: Critically assess whether implementation of the AQAPs has resulted in the change in pollutant concentrations identified in Objective 1.

Current progress

The draft thesis has now been submitted for examination awaiting the viva voce later this spring:

• Current timeline (PDF)
• Project proposal (PDF)

Official documents

If you wish to access these documents, please contact Dr Jo Barnes at jo.barnes@uwe.ac.uk:

• Progression Exam
• Thesis Outline

Papers and book chapters

J. H. Barnes, E. T. Hayes, T. J. Chatterton, and J. W. S. Longhurst (Submitted with revisions) Air quality action planning: why do barriers to remediation in local air quality management remain? J Environmental Planning and Management

J. H. Barnes, E. T. Hayes and J. W. S. Longhurst, (2012). Air quality action planning: the failure of remediation in local air quality management. In Brebbia, C., and Longhurst, J.W.S. (Editors), Air Pollution XX, WIT Press. Southampton and Boston, pp. 139-150.

Longhurst, J.W.S., Olowoporoku, A. O., Barnes, J., Chatterton, T.J., Hayes, E.T. and Irwin, J.G. (2011) Exploring issues of process efficiency and outcome effectiveness in the United Kingdom’s Local Air Quality Management Regime. The International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 6 (3). p. 286.

J. H. Barnes, T. J. Chatterton, E. T. Hayes, J. W. S. Longhurst and A. O. Olowoporoku (2011).Assessing the potential for local action to achieve EU limit values. In Brebbia, C., Longhurst, J.W.S. and Popov, V. (Editors) Air Pollution XIX WIT Press. Southampton and Boston. pp. 277- 285, https://www.witpress.com/978-1-84564-528-1.html

J.W.S. Longhurst, J. Barnes, T.J. Chatterton, E.T. Hayes, J.G. Irwin and A. O. Olowoporoku, (2010). Recalibrating the United Kingdom’s Local Air Quality Management regime to deliver desired goals. In Brebbia, C.A. and Longhurst, J.W.S. (Editors) Air Pollution XVIII WIT Press. Southampton and Boston. pp. 73-82.

Posters

Student Research Conference Poster: Is local air quality management a successful strategy in achieving selected European Union (EU) limit values PM10 and N02? (PDF) UWE Bristol, June 2009.

Presentations

Barnes, J., Hayes, E.T., and Longhurst, J.W.S., (2013). Wither LAQM?. (Invited presentation). IAQM Where now for LAQM?, Arup, London, 22 November 2013 (PDF)

Barnes, J., Hayes, E.T., and Longhurst, J.W.S., (2013). Air Quality: Implementation of Defra Policy (PDF). (Invited presentation). Environmental Protection UK Autumn Conference, Aston University, Birmingham, 24 October 2013

Barnes, J., Hayes, E.T., and Longhurst, J.W.S., (2013) Is Local Air Quality Management a successful strategy in achieving selected EU Limit Values? (PDF) Oral presentation, LAQM Review Consultation Event, UWE, 2013, August 2013

Barnes, J., Hayes, E.T., and Longhurst, J.W.S., (2013) Is Local Air Quality Management a successful strategy in achieving selected EU Limit Values? Oral presentation, FET Doctoral Exchange 2013, July 2013

Barnes, J. H., Hayes, E. T., Longhurst, J. W. S. (2013). Is Local Air Quality Management a Successful Strategy in Achieving Selected EU Limit Values, Air Pollution XXI, Siena, 5 June 2013.

Barnes, J. H., Chatterton, T. J., Hayes, E. T., Longhurst, J. W. S., Olowoporoku. A. O., (2012). Barriers to developing and implementing local Air Quality Action Plans. (Invited presentation May 2012) (PDF).
A Clearer Future Conference 2012, "Air Quality in 2012", Doncaster, May 2012.

Barnes, J. H., Chatterton, T. J., Hayes, E. T., Longhurst, J. W. S., Olowoporoku. A. O., (2012). Barriers to developing and implementing local Air Quality Action Plans (PDF).
Air Pollution 2012, Spain, May 2012.

Barnes, J. H., Chatterton, T. J., Hayes, E. T., Longhurst, J. W. S., Olowoporoku. A. O., (2012). Barriers to developing and implementing local Air Quality Action Plans. (Invited presentation April 2012) (PDF).
IAQM Action Planning meeting, London, April 2012.

Barnes, J. H., Chatterton, T. J., Hayes, E. T., Longhurst, J. W. S., Olowoporoku. A. O., (2011). Assessing the potential for local action to achieve EU limit values (PDF).
Air Pollution 2011, Malta, September 2011

Barnes, J., Chatterton, T.J., Hayes, E.T., Olowoporoku, A.O., and Longhurst, J.W.S., (2011) Local Air Quality Management vs Localism - Assessing the potential for local action to achieve EU limit values (PDF).
Poster presentation, FET Postgraduate Research Conference, June 2011.

Barnes, J., Chatterton, T.J., Hayes, E.T. and Longhurst, J.W.S., (2010). Reframing The United Kingdom Air Quality Management Challenge: From Diagnosis To Solutions (PDF).
15th IUAPPA World Clean Air Congress 2010, Vancouver, Canada, September 2010.

Longhurst, J.W.S., Barnes, J., Chatterton, T.J., Hayes, E.T., Irwin, J.G. & Olowoporoku, A.O. (2010), Recalibrating the United Kingdom's local air quality management regime to deliver desired goals (PDF).
Air Pollution 2010, Kos, July 2010.

Barnes, J. (2009). Is Local Air Quality Management a successful strategy in achieving selected EU Limit Values (2009)? (PDF)
Environmental Protection UK National Student Competition Day, UWE, July 2009.