Air Pollution Monitoring Stations
At present our city has six air pollution monitoring stations but they aren't all where they need to be. Ref. http://www.bristol.airqualitydata.com
Take the monitoiring station in Fishponds and ask why it's placed half way up a hill from the Frome Valley area where the rest of this hill takes people to Lodge Hill Open Space with Cossham Hospital as the highest point in Bristol. Cossham Hospital was built here because it's arguably the cleanest air in Bristol so why on earth is a monitoring station close to here when it should be in Stapleton?
Air pollution monitoring in Bristol is always between 1 and 2 out of a possible 10 for pollution with 1 being very low and 10 being terrible.
Perhaps if monitoring stations are set at points where there is a traffic issue and set at heights which effect people cycling and walking, then we may see real results and entirely different to the results we have at present.
Why is there an air moinitoring station on the Create Centre roof when it needs to be no more than 4 ft off the side of a busy road? Hotwells Road will be better..
Why is the one in Fishponds half way up a hill when it should be close to the entrance of Stoke Park Estate, set just back from a busy roundabout where traffic is terrible and pollution doesn't escape quick enough in a pollution trap with M32 traffic only adding to the overall problem?
Why the contribution is important
This idea is important because whilst we aren't admitting to the truth by having air monitoring stations in the wrong places, we can't address the real issues where people in other area's are suffering for hours every day from traffic pollution.
This idea is important because it helps build a case for addressing traffic issues.
by user946047 on December 08, 2013 at 12:38AM
Posted by user427475 December 09, 2013 at 16:15
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by user972174 January 06, 2014 at 09:17
The Fishponds Road site was located here because Fishponds Road was declared an Air Quality Management Area in 2008. The declaration was based on diffusion tubes, and a continuous monitor was installed to verify the declaration using a more precise technique. The site showed exceedence of the annual mean from 2009 - 2011 and was slightly below the objective in 2012. 2013 data are still being ratified.
The pollution in Bristol is often rated only 1 or 2 using the government's banding system. This is because the short term banding levels are high and so are rarely reached in Bristol, or anywhere else with the exception of London.
Monitoring station are located where traffic is an issue, e.g. Rupert Street, Parson Street and Newfoundland Way. As has been pointed out, the station on the roof of CREATE is a meteorological station, not a pollution monitoring station. This is clear from the description of the site.
Locating a monitor at the entrance to Stoke Park estate would not be appropriate as it would not be representative of residential exposure. We are led by government guidance on this matter.
One of the reasons that we were awarded Green Capital 2015 was because of the quality and extent of our air quality monitoring network. I am confident that the monitors are located where they need to be. They do show that pollution is a problem in Bristol and the Council is taking this problem seriously as can be seen from the minutes of several previous Sustainable Development and Transport Scrutiny meetings and the current Mayoral commitment to a robust air quality strategy.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)
Posted by user946047 January 10, 2014 at 12:30
This comment has been removed by a moderator.
Posted by user946047 January 10, 2014 at 12:32
Thank you for your response but while the issues are hoodwinked, local people in a pollution trap in Stapleton and other valley areas face breathing difficulties which combined between the M32, Frenchay Park Rd & Park Rd and Stoke Lane and Broom Hill see's more than 350 cars a minute pass through this busy section and over 200 cars a minute during quieter times. People from Stapleton go to Fishponds Road for fresh air in comparison.
Report this Comment (Requires Log In)