The main pollutant of concern in Newcastle is Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂). The legal maximum for NO₂ is 40μg/m³ averaged over a calendar year. In 2021, the highest reading was 98μg/m³, over double the limit. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend NO₂ should be no more than 10μg/m³ averaged over a year.

2021 Highlights:

• Overall, pollution was less than 2016-2019, but still didn’t meet UK legal limits.
• St James’ Park, home of Newcastle United Football Club, was the most polluted location in the city centre.
• The worst pollution recorded across Newcastle was 98μg/m³ on The Coast Road by the junction with Jesmond Park West.
• Measurements from Gosforth and The West End were all within UK legal limits for the second year running, though still substantially over the WHO’s recommendation.
• The Clean Air Zone, originally planned for January 2020, has still not been implemented.
• Traffic levels remain lower than pre-Covid in many areas though back to pre-Covid levels on some of the main commuter routes.

Newcastle City Centre

In the city centre, Strawberry Place next to St James’ Park was the most polluted with a Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) reading of 54.1μg/m³, substantially above both the 40μg/m³ legal maximum for the UK and the WHO recommendation.

City Centre Air Quality Management Area (AQMA)

These are the city centre locations where air pollution exceeded the legal limit in 2021

• 54.1μg/m³, DT25 (Strawberry Place between St James Park and Nine Bar)
• 50.8μg/m³, DT29/DT30/DT31 (triplicate co-location site, Percy Street)
• 48.7μg/m³, DT12 (8 Mosley Street)
• 45.4μg/m³, DT20 (Newgate Street/Grainger Street)
• 45.4μg/m³, DT65 (Blackett Street, Old Eldon Square)
• 44.2μg/m³, DT5 (St. Mary’s Place/John Dobson Street)
• 42.1μg/m³, DT13 (Neville Street/Westgate Road)
• 41.2μg/m³, DT7 (Blackett Street/Northumberland Street)

In 2019 (pre-Covid), Blackett Street was the most polluted location in the city centre with a measurement of 71μg/m³. Also higher in 2019 were Central Station (69μg/m³), Haymarket (66μg/m³) and Grainger Street (65μg/m³).

Air pollution on Blackett Street in 2021, including from buses, was measured at 45μg/m3.

Reduced levels of pollution in the city centre could be due less traffic, possibly also due to bus companies investing in cleaner vehicles ahead of the Clean Air Zone. For examples, Go North East launched two all-electric bus routes in November 2020, with support from the Government’s Ultra-Low Emission Bus Fund.

Crowds and cars on Strawberry Place on the day of the NUFC takeover announcement.

One big question is why through-traffic is still allowed through the city centre adding to the pollution, when the Council’s Urban Core Plan (adopted in 2015) said “Policies will direct traffic which does not need to travel into the Urban Core onto major routes around the edge of the Urban Core.” Google Maps, for example, still shows the quickest driving routes from Redheugh Bridge to Blue House roundabout are directly through the city centre via Percy Street or via Newcastle Central Station.

Google Maps showing driving routes from Redheugh Bridge to Blue House roundabout.

PM2.5, very small particulate matter pollution, is also measured in the city centre at the Civic Centre. In 2021 the reading was 7.1μg/m³, which is less than the UK Legal limit 20μg/m³, but higher than WHO guidance that the annual average should be no more than 5μg/m³.

Plans for a cycle lane on Percy Street, long one of the most polluted streets in the city, were shelved in 2019 because the space would be needed by buses re-routed from Blackett Street. Now the Blackett Street plans have been put off is it time to look again at Percy Street?

Plans for a cycle lane on Percy street were shelved in 2019.

Central Motorway and Coast Road

The Council’s pollution plan analysis from 2019 was that air quality on The Coast Road would be compliant in 2021 and that no additional measures would be required. Clearly that hasn’t worked out as two locations were still above legal limits, one substantially so (almost 2.5 times the limits).

These are the central motorway and coast road locations where air pollution exceeded the legal limit in 2021

• 97.7μg/m³, DT81 (Stephenson Road, entrance to Jesmond Park West)
• 43.4μg/m³, DT80 (A167 AQ Mesh)
• 42.9μg/m³, DT79 (Tyne Bridge)
• 42.4μg/m³, DT84 (A1058 Coast Road, Wills Building)

Drivers and car passengers who use this route every day will be exposing themselves to significant levels of pollution, especially as pollution levels within vehicles are typically much higher than the air outside.

The Coast Road (46,000 vehicles a day in 2021) and Tyne Bridge (53,000 vehicles) are two of the busiest vehicle routes in the city. Achieving pollution limits without cutting vehicle volumes is going to prove very hard at these locations. For comparison, Gosforth High Street had 15,200 vehicles a day on average in 2021.

A1058 Corner House/ Stephenson Road, westbound, the earlier broken down white Audi A3 that was obstructing the exit for Heaton Road has now moved on.#Newcastle pic.twitter.com/2M1s0pwxj1

— North East Live Traffic (@NELiveTraffic) November 3, 2022

We often hear people saying we should add extra lanes or remove traffic lights to “let the traffic flow” but all that ever means is bigger queues and more pollution at the next junction, as it is not possible to completely eliminate junctions in a city.

Many cities across the world are now considering removing urban motorways including Glasgow where there is a campaign to replace the M8.

A167(M) Central Motorway, southbound delays and traffic building up under the Swan House roundabout with tail backs forming.#Newcastle pic.twitter.com/DsSOtXGZCl

— North East Live Traffic (@NELiveTraffic) November 2, 2022

Gosforth

In 2021, all Gosforth High Street monitors recorded pollution levels within legal limits, thoroughly debunking irresponsible scaremongering claims of “significantly more toxic fumes” due to the High Street Covid scheme. These were the second lowest readings since the Salters Road junction was remodelled in 2016.

Gosforth Air Quality Management Area (AQMA)

The four pollution measurements shown in Gosforth (all within UK legal limits) are:

• 37.4μg/m³, DT50 (84 Station Road)
• 34.6μg/m³, DT43 (53 High Street, Gosforth)
• 28.7μg/m³, DT44 (102 – 104 High Street, Gosforth)
• 32.9μg/m³, DT45 (201 Gosforth High St)

We noted in our We still love Gosforth High Street blog that if air pollution measurements in 2021 were less than the legal limit, the Council would be bound by the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 to “ensure that [pollution] levels are maintained below those limit values” in future.

The main reason for the lower pollution levels is likely to be because there was less traffic on Gosforth High Street in 2021. The new layout may have contributed to this.

The graph below shows that air pollution at the three High Street monitoring sites and average daily traffic measured just north of The Grove are clearly linked. Because of this, doing anything that increases vehicle capacity on Gosforth High Street would potentially be in violation of the Air Quality Regulations.

Air pollution and average daily traffic on Gosforth High Street

Average daily traffic in 2022, up to the end of September, is still less than 16,000 vehicles a day so pollution in 2022 is likely to be slightly higher but still be under the limit.

Whatever the actual cause of the reduction in air pollution, it is clear that less traffic means less pollution.

The Council have also confirmed the Covid road layout hasn’t had any significant impact on journey times for people driving.

An electric bus and cycle lane on Gosforth High Street. Picture taken September 2022.

Air pollution at Haddricks Mill, 37.4μg/m³ in 2021, is broadly unchanged from previous years. This isn’t a bad result given traffic levels were suppressed during the Killingworth Road closure, but it should be much lower.

In the Chronicle article below, the Council said they aimed to cut pollution by “reducing congestion [and] by better managing the flow of vehicles at junctions” like Haddricks Mill. There isn’t good evidence that this approach will work.  The Government’s own Air Quality Plan said about measures to optimise traffic flow that “there is considerable uncertainty on the real world impacts of such actions.“

Fears pollution levels will be dangerously high again at controversial Killingworth Roadhttps://t.co/eAJBUIAUOb

— The Chronicle (@ChronicleLive) June 4, 2019

Denton Burn

Like Gosforth, all the readings west of the city were also within legal limits, although Cowgate roundabout was very close to the limit.

Now the A1 Scotswood to North Brunton road widening has been completed (10 October 20222) roads leading to and from the A1 are likely to get busier as traffic increases due to induced demand from the additional capacity on the A1.

Denton Burn air pollution readings

The Clean Air Zone

The Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is now due to come into force from January 2023, so it is possible that two years from now we might finally have some good news – eighteen years after UK Air Quality Limits should have been met in Newcastle!

This Government’s Air Quality Technical Guidance states that charging the most polluting vehicles is one of the most effective ways to reduce pollution, so the CAZ is likely to be effective to cut pollution in the city centre.

Cleaner buses, taxis, vans and HGVs will also benefit roads outside the city centre, but we don’t know whether that will be sufficient for air quality, for example on Central Motorway or The Coast Road.

The table below shows the split of traffic on The Coast Road, St James’ Boulevard, Tyne Bridge and Gosforth High Street. As it shows, Gosforth High Street has the highest proportion of buses, HGVs and heavy vans so is likely to gain the most. Coast Road traffic is only 3-4% buses, HGVs or heavy vans so may not benefit as much.

* “cars” includes taxis and light vans. 

We hope the Council will be able to release air pollution monitoring data sooner in future, so that we can find out quickly what impact the CAZ has had.

SPACE for Gosforth has previously summarised official air pollution measurements for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

The post Air Quality Update 2021 appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Newcastle City Council have proposed that Blackett Street and parts of New Bridge Street are made into a pedestrian area linking Northumberland Street, Monument and Old Eldon Square. This blog is our response to the Council’s consultation.

The other changes to the City Centre proposed alongside the Blackett Street plan include:

• Buses that previously used Blackett Street will now use the new bus loop (for a map see our response below).
• Revised arrangements for access and deliveries to minimise traffic in the new pedestrian areas.
• A new pedestrian and event space on Ridley Place at the north end of Northumberland Street.
• New / relocated disabled parking and taxi ranks.
• Cycling infrastructure on adjoining junctions.

More details of the proposals and a link to the consultation (which finishes on 31 January 2020) can be found here.

Dear Councillor Ainsley,

Re: Transforming our city

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Council’s proposals relating to Blackett Street and surrounding areas.

We wholeheartedly support the Council’s ambition for Newcastle upon Tyne to be “A place that has cleaner air and puts people first, and where public transport and healthy, active travel, such as cycling, and walking is a choice for everyone.”

Currently air quality on Blackett Street and New Bridge Street is poor; almost double the legal limit for air pollution in 2018. Large numbers of buses dominate the street, putting people at risk, in some cases with tragic consequences. On Blackett Street in February 2019, a gentleman was killed on his mobility scooter just trying to cross the road.

Traffic Injury and Pollution Data for Blackett Street and the surrounding area

Because of the large number of buses, cycling on Blackett Street and New Bridge Street is only currently a choice for the brave and doesn’t support the Council’s policy that “streets and roads should be designed to be safely used by children and those with limited mobility” [City Council October 2019].

Life and health should not be traded for other benefits. People have a right to be able to travel safely, and simple errors shouldn’t lead to someone being seriously injured or killed.

Richard Grainger’s Vision: A “City of Palaces”

Grainger Town has been a place of forward-thinking innovation combined with elegance and beauty for almost 200 hundred years.  Richard Grainger transformed the area from the remains of a medieval and industrial city and created “a City of Palaces; a fairyland of newness, brightness and modern elegance.” (William Howlett 1842) https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/our-city/history-and-heritage

Richard Grainger’s original vision for Grainger Town was for streets and buildings to be “promenaded” around as well as lived in. The 1997-2003 Grainger Town project recognised this by having as one of its aims to create “a high quality pedestrian-priority precinct, encouraging appreciation of the surrounding architecture, and transforming the experience of walking through this area and promoting civic activity.”
https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100510223103/http://www.cabe.org.uk/case-studies/grainger-town

Currently, a very large part of the road space on Blackett Street and New Bridge Street is reserved for vehicles with people squashed to either side.

Current vehicle-priority on Blackett Street

The Council now needs to complete the Grainger Town vision by making Blackett Street and Old Eldon Square traffic-free, and it should do so as soon as possible to address Blackett Street’s poor air quality and road safety issues.

Northumberland Street, which is already traffic-free, gives us an idea of what Blackett Street could be like, with much lower levels of pollution, virtually no traffic-related injuries in the last ten years and thriving businesses. The closure in 1998 is evidence that removing vehicle traffic not only works but allows an area to thrive. A generation on and the number of shoppers along Northumberland Street would be impossible to sustain if this street had continued to support two-way vehicle traffic. Complaints that Christmas stalls and rides had restricted the space in Northumberland Street only serve to demonstrate how the pedestrianised area is not only now accepted, but fiercely protected.

No one would suggest now that the city should turn Northumberland Street into a bus station, and in years to come people will wonder why the same was ever allowed on Old Eldon Square.

Blackett Street south frontage – January 2020

Old Eldon Square has the potential to be one of the best locations in the city centre but is currently dirty, noisy and dangerous. Apart from the east side where John Dobson’s original buildings survive, Old Eldon Square is surrounded by dark brown brick walls that make it look like the goods entrance to an out of town shopping centre. Making it traffic-free will allow these blank walls to be brought back to life with new businesses, street cafes and planting, and allow the square to be used for public events without risking the wellbeing of the people attending.

Blackett Street full of people on a summer Saturday

Detail Feedback

As above, we strongly support the removal of traffic from the areas identified in the Council’s plan. The following detail feedback is about proposed changes to transport arrangements.

1.     Buses and Accessibility

We support the concept of the Bus Loop, as set out in Council Policy UC7 adopted in March 2015, and that, as per that policy, this should be “the principal route for buses within the Urban Core to ensure there is good service around and to the edge of the retail area with 
less reliance on the routes that cut across it.”

We note that only one of the three main bus companies that serve Newcastle city centre currently uses bus stops on Blackett Street, and that passengers that use buses provided by the other two companies do not suffer unduly as a result. Blackett Street will be no further from the new bus loop than Northumberland Street is from the current nearest bus stops.

However, it must be acknowledged that passengers arriving by buses that currently stop on Blackett Street will have a variety of destinations and may want to connect to other bus or Metro services. We would therefore encourage the Council to work with bus companies to ensure that passengers have a choice of routes that allow them to access different destinations within the city. This could be achieved through the accessible, and preferably electric-powered, city centre bus shuttle idea we suggested in our response to the Council’s “Breathe” Air Quality consultation. Currently someone transferring from an east-west bus to one heading north would have a six-minute walk from Blackett Street to Haymarket.

Clearly different people will also have different mobility needs and it is important to ensure that Newcastle is accessible as possible for people with disabilities. We would therefore like to see the Shopmobility scheme expanded to better cater for public transport users rather than requiring people to drive and park to access this service. In fact, regardless of the outcome of this consultation we would like to see this idea taken forward. This could be funded by NE1 instead of their free parking offer, which by reducing the incentive to drive would also help reduce congestion and pollution in the city centre.

Not just buses on Blackett Street

In addition to the above we suggest:

1. To avoid delay to public transport, other vehicle traffic on the bus loop should be minimised as far as possible. All non-stopping traffic should be directed to use the Urban Core Distributor ring road, and the busiest sections of the bus loop should be bus-only.
2. For the same reason, the Council should remove non-stopping through-traffic from Percy Street and Mosley Street, both of which are identified in the Council’s Policy map as Public Transport Distributor Roads.
3. Good quality well-lit walking routes should be provided from the bus loop to major city destinations including the RVI, with clear signage to show the way. Footways should be free from obstruction and wide enough for when they are at their busiest. Signalised crossings should prioritise people on foot with short wait times and comfortable crossing times.
4. Maps should be displayed at regular intervals and at bus stops showing walking routes and which bus stops serve which routes.
5. Multiple options for connectivity between bus routes and with the Metro should be provided to passengers have a choice of routes. E.g. someone travelling west to east across the city may wish to change from a bus to a Metro at St James to avoid city centre congestion, or if travelling east to north a change at Haymarket Bus Station would be better rather than the current six-minute walk from Blackett Street.
6. Bus stops should be good quality and provide shelter and seating for waiting passengers.
7. Vehicle speeds should be rigorously monitored to ensure all traffic sticks to the 20mph limit.
8. In the interim, prior to this proposal being implemented, the Council should enforce existing bus-only regulations on Blackett Street and Grey Street.

Newcastle City Centre Bus Loop and Public Transport Distributor Roads

2.     Cycling

In October 2019, City Council agreed a motion on cycling that said that “Cycle and walking routes should be abundantly available especially within a 3-mile radius of the city centre or major transport interchanges.”

This motion acknowledged the clear benefits of cycling for health and life expectancy, the ability to move more people in the same space, reducing the cost of travel for residents and helping to reduce air pollution and green house gas emissions. In addition, many studies have shown how good cycling facilities are good for local businesses.

Government guidance states that Councils should aim for a 400m grid of routes that are safe for all age and ability cycling and allow access to key destinations. 400m is about the same distance as Haymarket Metro to the south end of Northumberland Street. This, along with the Council’s adopted policy, suggests that safe cycling routes should be provided on Blackett Street and on a tight grid of connecting cycling routes throughout the city centre, including in Zone 3 ‘Other areas of the city’.

The Council has previously produced graphics to illustrate what might be possible on Blackett Street.  Traffic-free cycle lanes such as those shown, which are clearly marked and not shared with people walking, have been found to work better for people walking as well as people cycling. To gain the maximum benefit there also need to be safe onward links to the wider city cycle network at both east and west ends and connecting south to Grainger Street and Grey Street.

Newcastle City Council Blackett Street mock-ups from 2017

Living Streets have produced a report about problems with shared walking and cycling routes, and although the report concludes that issues with sharing are less at destinations where there are high numbers of people walking, there is plenty of space to provide separate lanes so sharing is not required.
https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/1864/sharing-the-space-report.pdf

The Council motion on cycling also supported the addition of secure cycle parking. This provision should be spread throughout the city centre and the Council should consider family users (multiple bikes of different sizes including children’s bikes, cargo bikes and women’s bike frames) when selecting what types or combinations of racks to use.

We also suggest that the Council propose to local bus companies that they should provide training for their drivers in how to drive around and safely overtake people cycling.
E.g. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/bus-and-lorry-drivers-to-get-cycle-safety-training/

3.     Parking

On-street parking should be minimised within the Urban Core. Where it is provided it should be priced in order to encourage people to use the major car parks and to reduce traffic circulating to look for on-street parking spaces. Best practice suggests that pricing should aim to have at least 20% of on- street spaces free at any given time so that people who need it can easily find a space to park.

We support appropriate placement of disabled parking spaces, including in the city’s major car parks, and would like to encourage the Council to also find ways to better support people with disabilities to walk, cycle or use public transport.

4.     Beyond the Bus Loop – further development

The Council in its consultation documentation states that as a city ‘we’re growing, changing and investing in tomorrow. After all, great cities don’t stand still.’

We would like to suggest that once the changes being consulted on have been approved, the Council convenes a Grainger Town working group made up of major businesses and employers, transport providers, transport user and residents’ groups that support that Council’s ambition for ‘a place that has cleaner air and puts people first, and where public transport and healthy, active travel, such as cycling, and walking is a choice for everyone.‘ and to realise the  ‘City of Palaces’ vision.

Such a group would require a clear terms of reference that sets out how it will support the Council to achieve its policy goals and avoid further delay that might prevent air quality or safety targets being met.

Ideas for this group to look at might include:

• Extending the benefits of clean air and reduced traffic on adjoining streets by for example removing on-street parking on Grey Street and replacing it with extended pavements and greenery.
• Installing water fountains and/or play features for children.
• Walking routes and signage.
• Options for making the city centre more accessible for people with disabilities.
• City centre cycle hire.
• Low carbon last-mile deliveries.
• Installation of electric power for events to replace diesel generators.

Conclusion

Old Eldon Square is a key destination in its own right, and the removal of vehicle traffic creates opportunities for regeneration and more events for the benefit of the city and its residents.

It is also currently an air pollution and road danger ‘hot spot’, but has a high potential to be improved for people walking and for east-west journeys by people cycling who are currently excluded from this area by the high volumes of buses and other traffic.

The Council has been working on these plans since at least November 2017 and the proposed arrangements have been trialled on numerous occasions. The Council should now move quickly to make Blackett Street and New Bridge Street traffic-free well before summer 2020, even if initially with temporary measures, to bring air quality in line with the government directive and to prevent more people being seriously injured or killed.

In 2015, the Newcastle Chronicle published an article stating 23 pedestrians had been killed or injured by buses in the city since 2012.  These concerns are not new and will not go away without the sort of action proposed by the Council for Blackett Street and New Bridge Street.

In the interim the Council should ensure residents and users of Old Eldon Square are aware of the high levels of air pollution and that people should not spend more time than necessary in the area. While we understand why the Council has permitted events in the square in the past, no further licences should be issued until the traffic has been removed. This includes the Screen on the Green.

Yours sincerely,

SPACE for Gosforth
www.spaceforgosforth.com

Traffic-Related Injuries on Blackett Street and New Bridge Street

1.     “Man taken to hospital with chest pains following two-vehicle crash in Newcastle city centre” January 2020
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/man-taken-hospital-chest-pains-17619592

2.     “Man on mobility scooter hit by bus in Newcastle city centre dies in hospital a day later” February 2019
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/man-mobility-scooter-hit-bus-15829419

3.     “Pensioner in hospital after bus crash which brought city centre street to halt” December 2017
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/pensioner-hospital-after-bus-crash-14045173

4.     “Six passengers injured after bus suddenly brakes in Newcastle city centre” October 2016
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/six-passengers-injured-after-bus-11971358

5.     “Newcastle Council reassures pedestrians after 23 are killed or injured by buses since 2012” May 2015 including:

1. April 2014 “Paramedics called to Blackett Street, close to Grey’s Monument, where a woman in her 50s was lying in the road after being hit by a bus. She was taken by ambulance to the city’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, where she was treated for head injuries not thought to be serious”
2. October 2012 “A man in his 20s was struck by the Stagecoach number 63 on New Bridge Street West, at its busy junction with Northumberland Street. He was taken to hospital “to be treated for a sore elbow”
3. September 2012 “An 84-year-old was taken to hospital with head and arm injuries after he was hit trying to cross Blackett Street near to the bottom of Northumberland Street”
4. August 2012 “A man in his 20s was hit as he attempted to cross New Bridge Street West, near the end of Northumberland Street”
   https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-council-reassures-pedestrians-after-9201042

6.     “Accident in Newcastle City Centre” October 2013
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/incoming/gallery/accident-in-newcastle-city-centre-6131187

7.     “Another pedestrian hit by bus in Newcastle city centre” October 2013
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/another-pedestrian-hit-bus-newcastle-6130774

8.     “Eighth victim of a bus accident in seven months” February 2013
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/local-news/eighth-victim-bus-accident-seven-1372201

9.     “Man hurt in bus crash” January 2007
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/man-hurt-in-bus-crash-1479757

10.  “Chaos as man injured by bus” October 2003
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/chaos-man-injured-bus-1664547

Other relevant press stories

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/ambitious-plans-transform-newcastle-city-13913379 Ambitious plans to transform Newcastle city centre – November 2017

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/plans-breathe-new-life-newcastle-13933605 November 2017 cabinet approval

“Outside of London, Newcastle’s Northumberland Street is the next most expensive shopping road in the UK, with an annual rent of £1,742 per square metre.” 2004  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3954649.stm

The post Blackett Street appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Newcastle’s Grey Street: “One of the country’s most beautiful car parks”

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) air pollution is easy to miss. It’s invisible and odourless but kills 360 people a year in Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside and makes many more ill from asthma and other heart and lung conditions.

This blog summarises the official NO₂ air pollution measurements for the calendar year 2018, which were published in October 2019.

Key points

• In 2018, illegal levels of air pollution were recorded in Newcastle, Gateshead and in North Tyneside.
• In 2017 the worst reading across all three local authorities was 59μg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre). In 2018, sIx locations in Newcastle had even higher measurements.
• The worst location for air pollution in 2018 was at the Orchard Street taxi rank by Central Station, with a reading of 96μg/m³. We believe this is the worst NO₂ air pollution measurement ever recorded in Newcastle.
• Air pollution on Gosforth High Street has improved but still does not meet legal limits.
• Despite the ongoing illegal levels of air pollution, Newcastle City Council did not introduce any new measures in 2018 to improve air quality.

Air Pollution in Gosforth

In 2017, the worst pollution measurement for NO₂ was 59μg/m³ at the north end of Gosforth High Street. In 2018 pollution levels at the north end of Gosforth High Street have substantially improved to 44μg/m³ although this is still over the annual legal maximum of 40μg/m³.

In a previous blog we showed that pollution levels in 2016 and 2017 were strongly correlated to traffic volumes, however this doesn’t appear to be the case for Gosforth High Street in 2018. The only change we are aware of that may have contributed to this improvement is the introduction of newer buses in late 2017.

Previously two measurements had been taken by Haddricks Mill roundabout. In 2018, when Killingworth Road was closed for the full year, no measurements were taken on Killingworth Road. Almost certainly, because of the lack of traffic, the air quality there would have been well within the limits.

Air quality on Station Road improved as well and was 36μg/m³ in 2018.  In 2016, the last full calendar year in which Killingworth Road was open, it was 42μg/m³. Potentially in 2020, now Killingworth Road has reopened, it will return to its previous higher level.

Although not shown on the map, the North Tyneside measurement by the Four Lane Ends traffic lights also improved from 35μg/m³ in 2017 to 24μg/m³ in 2018. We have seen some people suggest that air pollution has been worse in Longbenton due to the ongoing Killingworth Road roadworks, but this is not reflected in the official measurements.

Air Pollution in Newcastle City Centre

While most monitors in the city centre showed lower readings, at some locations there were substantial increases in measured air pollution.The biggest increases were:

• Market Street [Location code DT8] 50 to 66μg/m³ 
• Newgate Street / Grainger Street [DT20] 42 to 54μg/m³ 
• Strawberry Place [DT25] 45 to 56μg/m³
• Blackett Street/Northumberland Street [DT7] 49 to 55μg/m³
• Pilgrim Street [DT13] 53 to 58μg/m³ 

Strawberry Place was added into the proposed Clean Air Zone in the most recent Council consultation.  It is also the subject of a recent planning application for high rise offices and apartments that could create a “street canyon” potentially making air pollution levels even worse in future.

These still weren’t the highest readings in the city centre though, with the highest three readings coming from new monitors.

The worst pollution in Newcastle city centre in 2018

1. Orchard Street Taxi Rank [DT74] 96μg/m³
2. Orchard Street Taxi Rank [DT75] 79μg/m³
3. Old Eldon Square [DT65] 71μg/m³
4. Market Street [DT8] 66μg/m³
5. Mosley Street [DT12] 62μg/m³

These locations suggest the Council are right to tackle air pollution from buses and taxis, as buses and taxis make up a large proportion of traffic at all these locations. According to the Council’s report, locations with an annual measurement over 60μg/m³ are also considered to be at risk of exceeding the legal hourly maximum of 200μg/m³.

These figures also suggest that city centre taxi and bus drivers could be amongst the most at risk from ill heath due to air pollution. In the SPACE for Gosforth response to the Council’s consultation we proposed a measure [our ref D08] to “Implement a program of air quality monitoring covering the insides of taxis and buses operating in the city centre. [and] Consider providing additional health advice for bus and taxi drivers.”

Drivers are exposed to the highest levels of harmful air pollution. And there’s evidence that traffic-related air pollution causes greater adverse health effects compared to other sources. https://t.co/wpwVDgRIit

— The Conversation (@ConversationUK) October 1, 2019

We also suggested that the Council “Remove through traffic from the Urban Core as per Council Policy UC9, with exemptions for buses” [Reference B08]. In many cities traffic crossing the city centre uses a ring road and it would not be unreasonable for the same to happen in Newcastle, leaving the city centre streets clearer for buses and vehicles accessing city centre destinations.

The Council has talked about removing parking from Grey Street (Cars could be banned from Newcastle’s Grey Street), which was also our proposal B03, although our suggested deadline for that to be implemented has already been missed.

Air Pollution on The Coast Road

The second highest pollution measurement in 2018, at 84μg/m³, was on The Coast Road at the entrance to Jesmond Park West near The People’s Theatre. The Council’s pollution plan analysis  is that air quality on The Coast Road will be compliant in 2021 and that no additional measures are required. We believe the modelling has come to this conclusion as a result of an assumption that more people will be buying petrol vehicles in future compared to diesels. We also believe this modelling will not have taken into account the high readings by Jesmond Park West as pollution at this location was only measured for the first time in 2018.

Will the Council’s Pollution Plan be effective?

The Council’s plan is based on a model of traffic flows that forecasts pollution levels. In the air quality modelling report that supports the final plan it gives forecast measurements at a range of locations across Newcastle, North Tyneside and Gateshead.

This is something we hope to look at further in future, but comparing modelled and actual pollution measurements on the Central Motorway suggests actual pollution is still quite a bit higher than forecast. We hope the Council will continue to monitor actual pollution levels to see how this varies from its forecasts and will update its plan accordingly.

Measurements are taken from official monitoring by Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside Councils. Not all measurements are shown.

SPACE for Gosforth has previously summarised results for 2017 and 2016.

The post Pollution 2018 appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Newcastle City Council have released the Air Quality Feasibility Study that will be used for its forthcoming consultation. Whatever the final plan that is chosen, it must by law meet air quality limits within the shortest possible timescale. The question for the consultation therefore is how should that be achieved.

In addition to the main objective of meeting air quality limits in the shortest possible timescale, the Council has chosen three secondary objectives:

1. to improve public health in our area in the shortest possible time;
2. to enable future economic growth and sustain jobs and communities in the region; and
3. to promote a fairer society and not detrimentally impact vulnerable populations.

Substantially the whole consultation is about how to improve public health. Air pollution is a major public health issue linked to multiple conditions including asthma, lung disease, heart disease, cancer, psychotic experiences such as  hearing voices or intense paranoia, children’s cognitive development, dementia, low fertility and sperm damage. We are interpreting the Council’s additional objective (a) as covering all of these and also including wider health benefits such as the benefit of having more exercise from walking or cycling more.

In 2016, Newcastle’s Director of Public Health Professor Eugene Milne recorded this message about air pollution and the public health impact of how we travel in Newcastle.

The Council’s consultation proposal includes two alternative options:

1. A Charging Clean Air Zone (CAZ) covering the city, Gosforth and the Coast Road. The Council are required to use this as a baseline by government, but are free to propose an alternative plan if that alternative plan will meet air quality limits in the same timescales or quicker; or
2. Tolls on the Tyne Bridge, Swing Bridge and Redheugh Bridge that apply to all motor vehicles. This differs from the charging CAZ as in a CAZ only the most polluting vehicles would have to pay.

Both options also include upgrading local buses, including all those running on Gosforth High Street, to the latest EURO emissions standard, and the introduction of integrated public transport ticketing.

As context for the proposed charges, the Independent reported in 2015 that between 1980 and 2014 the cost of motoring fell by 14 per cent in real terms but, in the same period, bus fares increased by 58 per cent and rail fares by 63%, substantially due to government policy.

Option 1: Charging Clean Air Zone

In the Council’s modelling the Charging Clean Air Zone – Class D (CAZ-D) came out as the most effective at meeting air quality limits in the shortest possible timescales. Class D means that private cars that are non-compliant will be charged in addition to buses, taxis, HGVs and vans. In Newcastle, about 17% of petrol cars and 77% of diesel cars are estimated to be non-compliant and would therefore have to pay the charge if driving through the CAZ.

The Council’s analysis is also that people in low-income areas are more likely to have non-compliant cars compared to areas like Gosforth, which in the map below has 20-40% non compliance compared to 80-100% in some parts of the West End. That doesn’t mean there are more non-compliant vehicles in the West End as higher-income areas tend also to have far more vehicles. In the 2011 census, Parklands ward had the most vehicles with 83% of households owning one or more vehicles vs 28% for Westgate.

The analysis of the CAZ-D also showed that other areas surrounding the CAZ boundary might in some cases have increased air pollution as a result of the most polluting vehicles diverting to other routes. The map below gives some indication of this, although there is no suggestion that this will cause any of these areas to go over the legal limit.

Air Quality if a CAZ-D is implemented vs the ‘Do Minimum’ scenario. Green = better; Purple – worse

For these reasons, the Council is proposing its alternative option.

Option 2: Tyne Crossing Tolls

The proposed tolls would only apply to Tyne Bridge, Swing Bridge and Redheugh Bridge, so there would be no charge for driving elsewhere in the city or in Gosforth.

While the effect on Gosforth or the Coast Road is therefore less certain, the are some potential advantages to the tolls:

1. Even with the CAZ-D, and with the vast majority of traffic being compliant with emissions standards, the Central Motorway would still be over the limit in 2021.  The Council estimates the CAZ will reduce non-compliant vehicles by 70%, but total traffic levels will only reduce by 9% as other compliant, but still polluting, vehicles will fill the space left. This means there needs to be some additional disincentive to reduce overall traffic levels in order to meet air quality limits.
2. The charge for the toll could be a lot less than for a CAZ (£1.70 vs £12.50 for the CAZ according to the Chronicle). For comparison, a one-way Metro ticket from Monument to Gateshead would cost £1.50 per person vs £1.70 for up to 5 people in most cars.
3. Buses could continue to use the High Level bridge with no charge, and other exemptions can also be agreed. The government’s CAZ approach requires that if non-compliant private cars are charged then buses, HGVs, LGVs and taxis must also be charged. If all buses are upgraded (as per the Council modelling assumption) then this would make less of a difference.
4. Charges can be varied depending on the time of day e.g. to be higher during rush hour and cheaper when the roads would otherwise be quiet.

That said, we don’t know at this stage whether tolls will be effective in reducing pollution as the Council hasn’t yet completed its modelling of this option. The legal requirement is for a plan that is demonstrably likely to meet air quality targets. If the modelling does not support the required timescales then this option would automatically be ruled out unless it can be supplemented by other measures.

The most likely case is that it will be effective in the area close to the bridges, but less so further away. Clearly, for Gosforth this is a concern. There will be vehicles that travel down Gosforth High Street or via Haddricks Mill to the Tyne Bridge, and the toll might reduce the number of vehicles doing that. That effect would be limited though as there would be nothing stopping other, possibly more polluting, vehicles from taking their place.

If the tolls aren’t sufficient then the Council would need to consider further options for  Gosforth High Street and in other areas where limits are currently breached. One possibility might be a local Charging Clean Air Zone covering just Gosforth.

Another option to reduce pollution but without charging might be to restrict traffic flow along Gosforth High Street.  SPACE for Gosforth’s analysis of Council data showed that the air was less polluted on Gosforth High Street during roadworks in 2016 when traffic was restricted, compared to the same period the following year when there was no restriction. The same analysis also showed that the temporary closure of Killingworth Road led to a substantial reduction in overall traffic levels.

Any revenue from the Charging CAZ or tolls has to be used by the Council for transport improvements, which could include further support to enable more people to use public transport, walking or cycling.

Other Measures 

The Council have listed other measures they plan to consider for implementation in addition to either of the main options of a Charging CAZ or bridge tolls:

• A low emission zone covering Newcastle City Centre where non-compliant lorries, buses and taxis can only enter at certain times
• A ban on HGVs and LGVs using the Central Motorway in peak hours
• Junction changes on the Central Motorway to reduce queuing
• Walking and cycling infrastructure
• More moss walls or other local abatement
• Incentives for retrofit / scrappage of non-compliant cars, taxis, HGVs and LGVs
• Travel credits for people on lower incomes e.g. to use public transport
• A public campaign to encourage people to change how they travel and
• Exemptions for emergency service vehicles and blue badge holders.

No doubt it will be possible to suggest other measures in response to the consultation. In our recent blog Your Right to Clean Air, we set out some of our ideas that we hope will be considered. Whatever the chosen measures are though they will need to contribute to meeting air quality limits by 2021, ideally also contributing to the Council’s secondary objectives.

As above, the Council have already included an assumption that all buses will be upgraded to the latest EURO standard. This will be helpful for air quality on Gosforth High Street given there are 49 buses travelling in each direction every hour. In 2013 Newcastle University estimated that 28% of NO₂ pollution on Gosforth High Street was generated by buses. Upgrading buses is therefore an important way to help meet air quality limits on Gosforth High Street but other measures would also be required.

Walking and Cycling

There is plenty of evidence available for what will be effective to encourage people to cycle or to walk more. For cycling this requires the creation of a network of routes that are safe and feel safe, avoid conflict with other road users, and provide direct access to the places people want to go. For children there is even research as to what type of route parents prefer and might be willing to use to get to school or on other journeys.

Studies have also shown that the benefits of cycling and walking ‘outweigh air pollution risk’ in cities even if cycling or walking on busy streets.

Improvements for walking, like reducing the wait times at crossings, can be implemented within a few weeks. Other cities have also shown that it is possible to implement good quality cycle networks very quickly. See for example Seville, Calgary and Macon in the USA.

The more choice people have for how to travel the easier it will be to meet air quality targets. Where people are made to be car-dependent, because there is no public transport, no safe cycle routes and local services are too far away to walk, then behaviour change initiatives will be far less effective.

Walking and cycling will also help meet all three of the Council’s secondary objectives. In our blog The Case for Healthy Streets we shared links to evidence for how walking and cycling can benefit health, support local retail and economic growth, extend the reach of public transport, and improve access to employment opportunities for the unemployed.

Consultation

The Council consultation will run from 6 March 2019 until 17 May. For further information see Newcastle City Council’s Air Quality webpage.

Following the consultation, the Council will produce its final plan, which must be submitted to government by 12 July 2019. In order for this plan to be approved by government, and considered for funding support, it will have to demonstrate that:

1. It is likely to cause NO₂ pollution levels to reach legal compliance within the shortest time possible (and provides a route to compliance which reduces exposure as quickly as possible);
2. The effects and impacts on local residents and businesses have been assessed, including on disadvantaged groups, and there are no unintended consequences;
3. Proposals that request UK government funding support demonstrate value for money; and
4. The local measures have been carefully analysed using detailed local evidence and local air quality modelling tools.

As it stands the Council has not yet completed its modelling so we don’t know which of the two options will best meet the criteria for government approval and funding. If one achieves compliance quicker than the other then that is the option that must be chosen to reduce the risk to public health as quickly as possible.

Source Information

Newcastle City Council, Gateshead and North Tyneside were all directed by the government to complete and submit air quality plans in accordance with the government’s Air Quality Plan for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) in UK (2017).

Most of the information for this blog is sourced from the Council’s Tyneside Air Quality Feasibility Study. The final version of the Feasibility Study is available from the Cabinet Committee agenda  (item 7).

This table, also from the Feasibility Study shows the percentage of vehicles that are non-compliant with CAZ standards nationally and locally.

The post Which works best – Tolls or a Clean Air Zone? appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

The Council has just released its Air Quality Annual Status Report 2018 and it is not looking good for Gosforth High Street. We had expected that the 2016 reading of 51μg/m³  for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) was a one-off due to the roadworks at the junction with Salters Road, but in 2017 the figure had increased again to 59μg/m³. Both are substantially higher than the legal maximum of 40μg/m³.

In 2017 Gosforth High Street actually had the worst recorded air pollution of anywhere in the city.

The most polluted locations in Newcastle in 2017

*All monitors are located next to busy roads.

Elsewhere in the Gosforth Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) readings have improved slightly since 2016, although the reading at the south end of the High Street shops is also still above the legal limit.

At Haddricks Mill / Station Road air quality is only just within the legal limit despite Killingworth Road being fully closed to traffic for the second half of the year (in 2016 the readings were 42 and 46).  This might form part of the explanation why the reading on Gosforth High Street has increased in 2017.

All the above readings come from Nitrogen Dioxide diffusion tubes with the reading at the north end of the High Street measured at the north end of the shops shown in the title picture.

Gosforth also has an automatic monitor (shown below) located in the Salters Road car park. Over 2017 and into 2018, this monitor has been recording much lower (and legal) air quality results. We reported in our 2016 Air Quality Update that, based on this monitor, we thought that air quality on the High Street was improving.

Air pollution monitor on Gosforth High St

The difference in the two results is likely to be explained by the fact that the automatic monitor is located in an open space where pollution can disperse, whereas the official monitor is located in the main part of the High Street with buildings on either side forming a “street canyon”.

Street canyons can dramatically affect pollution levels. If the wind typically flows along the street then this can actually flush out the pollutants and cause them to disperse more quickly. Where the wind flows across the street this can trap the pollution within the canyon and prevent dispersal.

Clean Air Zones

According to the government, the most effective way to improve air quality is to introduce a Clean Air Zone. The Council is working on a plan to meet the UK High Court’s directive to reduce concentrations of NO₂  to meet legal limits and to do so within the shortest possible time. These results make it much more likely that Gosforth High Street will need to have its own Clean Air Zone. For more on Clean Air Zones see our blog The New Newcastle Air Pollution Plan. Details of this plan should be published early in 2019.

Newcastle City Centre

Air quality across Newcastle city centre also remains poor. At Percy Street and by Swan House roundabout, where the highest figures have been recorded, the results are no better than in 2016. In fact the only location with a noticeable improvement is outside Central Station, although even there readings are still above the legal limit.

In our 2016 Air Quality Update we said “The approaches used to date have been shown to be too slow or ineffective. To achieve compliance in the shortest possible timescales real commitments are required to effect a step change so that the city can be rid of dangerous air quality levels it has suffered for too long.” It is clear that this is still the case. We hope we will not have to repeat this sentiment again when 2018 figures become available this time next year.

While initiatives such as the Haymarket Moss Tree might be a useful talking points, it is not an alternative to substantive action.

Of all the measures listed in the current report, one of the most effective (as described by the report) is car parking charges. In Newcastle the Council continue to subsidise free parking after 5pm, money which they could be using to improve non-polluting travel options. For most of us, being “Alive after 65” is more important than saving a few pennies on parking fees.

Your Health

Three hundred and sixty lives are cut short every year in Newcastle due to poor air quality. Air pollution is also a known cause of a range of other health issues including asthma, lung disease, heart disease, cancer, dementia and infertility. If you live or work near a polluted location and have breathing or other health issues that could be linked to pollution, you may wish to mention this to your doctor next time you visit.

Happy Birthday?

April 2018 was the 10th anniversary of the city centre and Gosforth AQMAs. The Council have had ten years to fix this problem, but the latest reading for Gosforth High Street is worse than ever.

In 2015 the UK Supreme Court directed the government to ensure that air quality meets legal limits, and to do so within the shortest possible time scales.

That was over three years ago. The Council must act now to protect the health of residents or be held in contempt of court.

The post Air Quality Update 2017 appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

2018 is an important anniversary for Newcastle upon Tyne as it marks 10 years since Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) were declared for the city centre (which includes parts of Jesmond and Heaton) and for South Gosforth in 2008.  The city centre AQMA replaced an earlier AQMA in this area.

Newcastle City Centre AQMA

Both Air Quality Management Areas were declared due to levels of the pollutant nitrogen dioxide exceeding legal limits.

Nitrogen dioxide has been linked to a wide range of diseases and other health conditions including cancer, low sperm counts, dementia and cognitive delay in children.

Newcastle City Council recently released figures for nitrogen dioxide levels in 2016, and these showed that a previous trend of nitrogen dioxide levels decreasing in Gosforth has halted and that nitrogen dioxide levels in Gosforth have once again risen to above legal limits.

The South Gosforth AQMA

Members of the public can obtain real time information about levels from pollution from Newcastle University’s Urban Observatory. SPACE for Gosforth has written several previous blogs highlighting high levels of nitrogen dioxide in both AQMAs:

• Black Friday, Smoggy Saturday… (on Gosforth)
• Black Friday Part 2 – Newcastle City Centre
• Pollution Update – February 2017
• The New Newcastle Air Pollution Plan
• Air Quality Update 2016

Air pollution monitoring in 2015

As well as nitrogen dioxide pollution, previous monitoring carried out by SPACE for Gosforth in 2015 suggested that there might also be a problem with particulate pollution on Gosforth High Street.

2018 will also be an important electoral date for the city of Newcastle upon Tyne as residents in all wards will have the opportunity to elect all their three councillors due to the boundary changes. 

Locations where Defra have ordered a reduction in emissions

At SPACE for Gosforth we believe that this election offers residents of Newcastle upon Tyne the opportunity to raise the issue of our filthy air with candidates of all parties and to ask how they would tackle this issue.

Poor air quality affects everyone who lives and works in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is not an issue that our elected representatives can ignore, as they have been ordered to take action by Defra to reduce air pollution on the key city arteries of the Tyne Bridge / Central Motorway, the A1 and the Coast Road. This was following the defeat of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the High Court by the environmental law firm Client Earth.

Nitrogen dioxide levels on Blackett St last July – only legal when the road was closed to traffic!

Client Earth has launched further legal action against Defra this year, so it is entirely possible that as one consequence of this action Newcastle City Council may be required by the Government to do even more.  It is also worth noting that Newcastle City Council is currently controlled by the Labour Party, and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, has recently publicly stated that tackling air pollution is a national priority for his party should they form a government.

Air pollution monitor on Gosforth High St

The seriousness of this issue, both in its impact on public health and due to the legal obligations that are falling on Newcastle City Council, means that it is one which every candidate for public office in our city needs to understand fully.

In 2018 we hope to hear more from both elected councillors and candidates about what they will be doing this year to ensure that councillors, council officers and others in Newcastle take decisive and effective action to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide in our city.

Ten years is too long for the health of the public to be put at risk in this way – our ambition for 2018 is that this tenth birthday for both AQMAs is also their last.

The post 2018 – 10 years of the Gosforth and City Centre AQMAs appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Poor air quality is well known for its ability to make people ill and to shorten lives and has been linked to cancer, asthma, stroke and heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and dementia. You may have heard of Alive After Five, the late night shopping initiative in Newcastle City Centre that has free parking as a major feature to attract shoppers.  SPACE for Gosforth has had a long-standing concern that driving is the only means of transport being promoted for access into the city at this time and that this is contributing to illegal levels of air pollution in Newcastle City Centre.

SPACE wrote to Newcastle NE1 Limited (the Business Improvement District) in July 2017 and again in September 2017 about these concerns. As of the date of publishing this blog we have received no reply.  This has led us to launch our new campaign – Alive After 65 – Live Long with Clear Air – that calls on NE1 and Newcastle City Council to promote access to our City Centre by ways that will not endanger people’s health.

In our last blog, we shared Newcastle’s official air quality monitoring for 2016 which showed illegal levels of air pollution across the City Centre and South Gosforth Air Quality Management Areas.

Newcastle, like other cities with illegal air quality, has been required to meet air pollution limits in the shortest possible time or potentially face financial penalties. Two of the most effective means of doing this, according to Newcastle City Council’s 2017 Air Quality Annual Status Report (due to be published here) are:

1. Restricting access to AQMAs for highly polluting vehicles (measure 12) and
2. Use of car parking charges to encourage alternatives to car use (measure 22).

By the same logic, cheap or free parking such as is currently provided in the city centre, without any restriction on the most polluting vehicles, is likely to make air pollution worse. So why, given the City Centre and South Gosforth AQMAs are almost ten years old and air quality is still breaching legal limits, is there a policy to subsidise car parking out of Council funds?

Advert for Alive After Five free city centre parking

According to the NE1 Business Improvement District (NE1BID)  funding proposal (p44) Newcastle City Council parking subsidies for Alive After Five between 2014 and 2019 will amount to £400,000 in addition to £825,000 from the BID.

Based on NE1BID’s visitor estimates however, the subsidy, funded indirectly by shoppers and residents, could be significantly more. 13.7m visitors over 7 years suggests the subsidy is based on a very low total parking charge of less than 13p per visitor or 21p per car (see footnote for calculation).

A three hour advanced booked parking space at NCP Newcastle John Dobson Street by comparison would cost £6 (advance purchase). Based on this commercial parking rate the Council subsidy could be as high as £16.4m over five years rather than £400k. This is money that could be spent on reducing air pollution, or on essential services if air pollution is no longer an issue.

For example, this money could be used to subsidise bus and Metro travel into the City Centre in the evening to encourage people to use public transport rather than private vehicles. We’ve helpfully updated the Alive After Five advert to show what this approach focused on clear air and better health would look like.

Alternatively, this money could be used to pay for cleaner buses, to improve walking or cycling facilities or to grit cycle routes in winter so that people who wish to can reliably ride into the city.

There is no reason why initiatives such as these should not encourage even more people to visit Newcastle city centre, especially now that the evening economy is well established. At the same time they would also help improve air quality in the city and reduce the financial burden of ill health caused by poor air quality that we all pay for through taxes, currently estimated at twenty billion pounds per annum for the UK as a whole.

Barras Bridge traffic for a Christmas special event in 2016 blocking access for buses.

The Costs of Free Parking

Studies of the consequences of free parking show that even without the impact on air quality there are issues with this approach. Not having a price to limit demand leads to queues (just like traffic jams on free-to-use roads) and a poor customer experience because spaces are hard to find. It also leads to more traffic caused by people driving around looking for spaces and because it is cheap to visit multiple times rather than shopping once for multiple items, or car-sharing with friends.

It also encourages low spending visitors to use up parking spaces at the expense of visitors who might spend more, and for visitors to stay longer preventing others who might want to shop from using the same parking space. Free parking, rather than being the cause of additional spending in the city, could be putting off exactly those people businesses want to attract.

Poor air quality itself is a risk to City Centre businesses. Who wants to visit or go shopping in a place with a reputation for poor air quality when there are other easier or healthier options? In other parts of the country businesses have realised this and are stepping up to lead on the changes needed to reduce air pollution to within legal limits.

It’s also an opportunity. Without subsidised parking the city may be able to release land currently used for parking to be used for housing or further retail or leisure facilities. This, and cleaner air, will also help it compete with out of town shopping centres like the Metro Centre where there are few good choices but to use a car and where cleaning up air pollution is likely to prove much harder.

We hope our campaign will encourage NE1BID and Newcastle City Council to take an urgent lead on tackling our air pollution, by focusing how to get more people (rather than just cars) into the city by less polluting means; on how to make Grainger Town and the rest of the City Centre a beautiful, lively, vibrant place for people and businesses without adding to air pollution, road danger and other negative consequences of excess traffic.

Footnotes

A. Health Impacts of Air Pollution

In the report “Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution” by the Royal College of Physicians, they summarise that “Each year in the UK, around 40,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution which plays a role in many of the major health challenges of our day. It has been linked to cancer, asthma, stroke and heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and changes linked to dementia. The health problems resulting from exposure to air pollution have a high cost to people who suffer from illness and premature death, to our health services and to business. In the UK, these costs add up to more than £20 billion every year.”

B. Planning Policy to improve air quality

One of the other most effective means of improving air quality is measure 41, “Consideration of the location of essential services such as housing and employment.” Updates to the City’s Local Plan covering planning guidance are being consulted on until 20 November 2017 including new policies on locations for employment sites, District and Local Retail Centres, and locations for Housing Sites. None of these policies make reference to air quality as part of their objectives although there is a separate (though fairly vague) policy relating to environmental protection.

C. Estimating the Council’s parking subsidy per visitor, per car and in total.

1. 13.7m extra visitors over 7 years (October 2010 – October 2017) suggests 1.96m extra visitors per year.
2. Funding per year in the BID proposal is £165k from BID + £80k from the Council (£400k spread over 5 years). Total funding per year = £245k
3. Based on these figures, the subsidy per visitor arriving per car = £245,000/1.96m = £0.125
4. This is likely to understate the number of visitors as 13.7m was extra visitors so not the total number, and is likely to cover a shorter period ending prior to October 2017. If using total visitors this estimate of subsidy per visitor would be even less.
5. It is possible to convert this to a subsidy per car using DFT’s vehicle occupancy statistics, which suggest an average of about 1.7 people per car for shopping and leisure trips. £0.125*1.7 = £0.213, approximately 21p per car.
6. Note also these are not actual costs but rather are estimates of lost parking fees. Almost certainly these are based on the parking fees that were in place prior to 2010 when there was no late night shopping and relatively little demand for evening parking. As an introductory offer this makes sense however the current subsidy needs to be calculated based on the total parking charges that the Council would receive now if parking charges were set using market rates, and therefore the amount the Council is forgoing by allowing free parking.
7. A more realistic estimate of the lost parking fees can therefore be calculated by multiplying the number of vehicles by a commercial parking rate. E.g. John Dobson Street parking fees from the NCP website from 6-9pm on 2 November 2017 would cost £6 or £9 on 23 and 30 November. We have used the lower of these two prices below. These are for advanced purchase tickets for NCP members. Non-member on the day prices are significantly higher.
8. 1.96m visitors /1.7 visitors per vehicle = ~1,150,000 vehicles per annum. Assume half of these still come if parking was priced at a commercial rate of £6 for 3 hours and lost parking fees in total would be 1,150,000/2 * £6 = £3.45m per annum.
9. This also assumes 575,000 fewer vehicles trips into the city centre over a year which would make a significant difference to air quality. This doesn’t imply fewer visitors, only that fewer would arrive by car. With a similar level of subsidy available to encourage visitors by other less polluting means then possibly there would be more visitors (and more money spent) than now.
10. NE1BID fund £165,000 per annum so the Council subsidy would be £3.45m – £165k ~= £3.29m per annum or £16.4m over 5 years.

The post Alive After 65 – Live Long with Clean Air appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Every year the Council is required to provide an annual status report covering its Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) in the City Centre and in Gosforth. Figures have just been released for 2016 and, contrary to the longer term trend, there were significant increases in pollution across many sites in Gosforth and in the City Centre.

In Gosforth, whereas in 2015 all measurements for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) were under the maximum legal level of 40 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m³), in 2016 four of the monitors showed illegal levels of NO₂ air pollution. Two of these were on Gosforth High Street and two at Haddricks Mill junction. It is possible that some of the increase on Gosforth High Street related to the road works to re-design Salters Road junction. However, given the increases in other locations, it feels likely that even without the roadworks there would have been an increase.

We also have more recent figures since completion of the road works thanks to the Newcastle Urban Observatory, which also has a monitor at Salters Road junction. The graph below shows average pollution levels by week over the year showing higher levels over winter, with lower levels from the start of April. The darker coloured bars show the weeks that were local school holidays.

The annual average at Salters Road junction in this period from October 2016-September 2017, according to these unofficial figures, would be about 30 μg/m³. We will have to wait until the official 2017 figures however to see if this pattern is validated by the official monitoring sites.

Arriva North East introduced newer Sapphire buses on a number of services using Gosforth High Street in August 2017 so possibly that will have a beneficial effect even if the new buses are still only Euro 4 and Euro 5 standard for emissions.

Newcastle City Centre

In the city centre, NO₂ levels were above the legal limit in all areas from St James’ Park to the Civic Centre and the Quayside. Particularly high values were recorded by Haymarket and at Swan House roundabout. 

Clean Air “In the Shortest Possible Timescales”

Following the publication of the Government’s Air Quality Plan in July 2017, local authorities have been directed to create their own draft plan to achieve legal limits within the shortest possible time by March 2018.

The Council is currently undertaking a joint study with Gateshead Metropolitan Borough and North Tyneside councils to identify options for meeting the legal limits. This includes the areas identified by DEFRA (The Tyne Bridge, the A1 and the Coast Road) as well as the city centre. Possibly with the above results Gosforth also now needs to be included in that plan.

In the Council Cabinet briefing paper (item 6) which describes the study it confirms that “If Local Authorities do not take action to reduce exposure to air pollution below limit values, there is a potential for infraction fines to be passed to the local authority by the Government utilising the Localism Act.“

The direction to achieve compliance in the shortest possible timescales comes not just from the Government’s plan but also from a High Court ruling, which also clarified that the plan to bring air pollution within legal levels cannot be delayed as a result of economic considerations.

The Government’s analysis shows that “road transport is responsible for some 80% of NOx concentrations at roadside” and so any plan to reduce air pollution will have to include some element of limiting or discouraging vehicles. This could be by closing roads to prevent unnecessary through traffic or financial measures like congestion charging or parking fees.

This is already happening in some UK cities e.g. in Oxford they have “plans to start phasing out polluting vehicles including taxis, cars and buses from city centre area in 2020” and Nottingham City Council have introduced a Workplace Parking Levy which has helped fund public transport and improve air quality.  As we shared in our blog The New Newcastle Air Pollution Plan, it is possible the current Alive After Five subsidised car parking initiative is not compliant with the legal ruling to achieve compliance with air quality targets.

Reducing Traffic

Over the last year we have been able to see what an impact reducing traffic levels can have, even if only for a short period.

On 2 July 2017 parts of the city centre were closed for a British Cycling Let’s Ride event. Part of the route for the day passed one of the Urban Observatory‘s monitors at the junction of Northumberland and Blackett Street. The graph below shows that air quality on 2 July was much better than any other day in July and also therefore how legal compliance can be achieved almost instantly by reducing traffic levels.

Later in July there was a further brief road closure for the Northern Pride march, which even though lasting only a few hours caused air pollution to improve significantly in that short period.

Newcastle’s two Air Quality Management Areas will be 10 years old in April 2018. Many children growing up in Newcastle and in Gosforth may have spent their entire lives living in or near Air Quality Management Areas.

The approaches used to date have been shown to be too slow or ineffective. To achieve compliance in the shortest possible timescales real commitments are required to effect a step change so that the city can be rid of dangerous air quality levels it has suffered for too long.

The post Air Quality Update 2016 appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Click on image for pdf

On Sunday 2nd July 2017 Newcastle will be hosting the HSBC City Ride.

The ride takes place in Newcastle City Centre and will be traffic free on closed roads and is for everyone.

Whether you’re 8 or 80, regardless of your ability, all you need is a bicycle or tandem or tricycle.  In fact any wheeled contraption powered by you!  Oh and it’s free!

SPACE for Gosforth folks are going to meet up at the War Memorial at 10:30am in Gosforth Central Park and then head off to join the Let’s Ride event, cycling around Newcastle on closed roads for the day.

This is the route we’ll be taking.  Which as far as possible we’ve tried to keep on quieter roads.

Please note that our ride from Gosforth to Exhibition park won’t be on closed roads and we’re not having Ride Leaders or Marshals – riders take part at their own risk and children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  We have registered our ride as a “Ride Social” on British Cycling’s Let’s Ride page – click here for the link to the “Ride Social” Terms and Conditions.

The Newcastle City Ride

The Newcastle City Ride is on closed roads and there will be a number of activities for you and your family and friends to take part in.  The City Ride starts at 11:00am but you can arrive at any time during the day

Click on the image for a pdf version of the map

You can find more information and registration on the ride here – and it’s free!

It would be brilliant for everyone to meet up and head in together.  See you there!

The post City Feeder Ride | 2 July 2017 at 10:30am appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.

Gosforth High Street

As we might expect, air quality improved over the school Christmas holidays when traffic was lighter, with readings reducing to 23.8 μg/m³  from the post-Black Friday average of 50.3 μg/m³.

After the school holidays, the NO₂ figures started to rise again to 45.5 μg/m³, so not as high as before, but still higher than prior to Black Friday and higher than the annual legal limit.

This average however hides some large variation and, as the graph below shows, while the week commencing Sunday 8 January was at 20.2 μg/m³ the best week so far for air quality, the week commencing Sunday 5 February was the worst at 59.3 μg/m³.

Overall, the average from the Salters Road car park monitors since 25 September 2016 is 39.9 μg/m³. If pollution remains at the same high level as for recent weeks then this will very soon be higher than the annual legal limit. This itself though is a maximum and we should be aiming at much lower levels in order to protect the health of residents, commuters and others that use the High Street.

Jesmond Road

At Jesmond Road the pattern is similar with the average reducing to 38.0 μg/m³ over school holidays from 67.1 μg/m³ before, then increasing again to 56.9 μg/m³ for the period 8 January to 11 February 2017.

Similar to Gosforth, the weeks commencing 1 and 8 January are equal best for air quality at the Jesmond Road monitoring site at 36.2 μg/m³ but two weeks later is the second worst week so far at 68.0 μg/m³. The average to date is 52.5 μg/m³, 32% over the annual legal limit.

Outlook

While we don’t yet have a full year’s worth of data, what we do have supports a strong need for action both in Gosforth and on Jesmond Road to enable alternative travel choices that can help improve air quality including walking, cycling and the use of public transport.

Further house building north of Newcastle including 715 new houses to be built in Cramlington is likely to make this worse especially when, according to SENRUG (the SE Northumberland Rail User Group) current rail services are only hourly during the day with no services between 18.20 and 20.00 during the week and none at all on Sunday.

At the same time, improvements in clean engine technology seem to have stalled with research for the Transport and Environment Group showing that “New cars consume on average 42% more fuel on the road than advertised in sales brochures” and that there has been “No improvement in average efficiency of new cars for four years”.  Other research from the International Council for Clean Transportation has shown that “Modern diesel cars produce 10 times more toxic air pollution than heavy trucks and buses“. This they attribute to stricter testing of larger vehicles.

Government Vehicle Licensing Statistics relating to Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV) show that these were 1.2% of all new vehicle registrations in the year to September 2016. However, with a 2.3% increase in total vehicles there are still more non-ULEVs on the road than there were a year ago and a 2015 Government report on Energy and Emission Projections suggests (as per the diagram below) that oil-based fuels and petrol are likely to power the vast majority of vehicles until well into the 2030s.

As we set out in our blog Black Friday Part 2 – Newcastle City Centre the Government, and by extension local Councils, are required to cut NO₂ pollution to legal levels in the “shortest possible time” so clean engine technology, while worth supporting for the long term, appears unlikely to make any immediate difference.

Other measures that seek to reduce congestion by increasing the vehicle (as opposed to people-carrying) capacity of roads, but instead induce more traffic, will just add to the problem.

Madrid, Paris, Milan and Rome have implemented emergency measures, temporarily banning certain types of traffic from the roads. In the UK, many cities including London are considering clean air zones where highly polluting vehicles are either banned or are charged to use the roads. Nottingham has implemented a work-place parking levy and has used the money to invest in improving public transport. While these restrictions may be effective, they still need to be accompanied by investment in alternative ways of travelling.

For Newcastle, creating a range of good quality options for how people travel, rather than designing roads solely for vehicle flow, will mean people can choose how they get around instead of being forced to use a car. At the moment the choice not to drive is unavailable to many people here. Enabling that choice will help reduce the negative consequences of excessive amounts of traffic, including air pollution, that affect the whole community whether they drive or not.

The post Pollution Update – February 2017 appeared first on SPACE for Gosforth.