A report on proposals for action to improve air quality in Storrington village is being made available for public consultation.
The Storrington Air Quality Action Plan report is now available to view through Horsham District Council’s website (www.horsham.gov.uk).
The draft Action Plan has been prepared by the Storrington air quality steering group, which comprises officers and Members of Horsham District Council, West Sussex County Council and representatives from Storrington Parish Council.
It has been prepared as a requirement of the Air Quality Management process, as defined by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The details of some of the specific measures to be implemented are yet to be agreed, pending the outcome of a traffic management feasibility study and feedback from the public consultation.
The Storrington Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and the draft Action Plan has not been developed in response to any specific planning application but instead is part of the much wider, ongoing commitment to the Government’s statutory Local Air Quality Management process.
All local authorities are required to review and assess air quality on a regular basis and identify areas that fail to meet the statutory air quality objectives.
Horsham District Council has submitted reports to Defra on an annual basis and all reports are published on the Council’s website (www.horsham.gov.uk).
Sue Rogers, Horsham District Council’s Cabinet Member for a Safer and Healthier District, said: “I am pleased with the progress of this work to address the air quality issues in Storrington and this consultation is an important part of this process.”
The Council is proposing to have a public exhibition in Storrington to encourage consultation responses and provide information to the residents about the air quality in Storrington village.
As a ‘live’ document, the Action Plan will be updated as more information becomes available and will need to be reviewed annually as part of the Review and Assessment Air Quality Progress Report.
The draft Action Plan identifies the actions the Council should take to reduce air pollution in the area and has been submitted to Defra this month.
Nationally there are approximately 250 Councils with AQMAs. The Storrington AQMA was the first in the Horsham district, being identified in 2010.
Creating an AQMA does not sterilise development within its area.
Instead, when planning applications are made for development in the area, applicants will have to consider how they would affect the area’s air quality, as this could be a material consideration which would have to be considered against other material planning considerations before the council made its decision.
For more information on the report, call Horsham District Council on 01403 215292 or email lisa.hawtin@horsham.gov.uk