Air quality has improved in West Lothian - which could lead to monitoring sites being removed to save money.
The three monitoring stations cost the council £12,000 a year to run but replacing equipment has cost tens of thousands of pounds, the Public and Community Safety Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel (PDSP) heard this week.
The next steps will be to look at revoking the test sites in the county.
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Answering a question on costs from meeting chair, Councillor Craig Meek, Craig Smith, an environmental health and trading standards manager told the panel that costs were “a sore point” adding that replacement costs for equipment were “excessive.”
Last year there were issues with equipment reliability and repair, which impacted the volume of data capture. Additional funding from the Scottish Government was secured to complete the survey.
Mr Smith told the committee: “Our bill for replacement kit last year because of faults was in the region of £50,000, and this year we’ll also be spending something like £20,000 to £30,000 on replacing kit. There’s also ongoing testing in terms of diffusion tubes and that costs around £3,000 to £4,000 a year so there’s quite a lot of money spent on monitoring air quality in West Lothian.”
Three air quality management areas were declared in West Lothian because of historical high figures of pollution in the eastern end of the county.
These are still in place. The air quality management areas were declared in 2011 for Broxburn, and 2016 for Linlithgow, and Newton.
However, monitoring data has been showing a continuing improvement, and in recent years, levels consistently below the air quality objectives.
The air quality management areas have continuous monitoring equipment in place. In addition to this there are 23 sites throughout West Lothian with diffusion tubes monitoring Nitrous Oxides (NOx).
Mr Smith said in his report: “It is encouraging to be able to report that air quality within West Lothian has improved and is at a stage where consideration can be given to removing air quality management areas. The duty to monitor air quality and report on the council’s statutory obligations will continue and the panel will be kept advised of this appropriately going forward.”
He added: “There is no specifically identifiable reason for improvements in air quality over this time, but it is reasonable to assume that as vehicle pollution is the most significant factor causing poorer air quality, the 'greening'” of vehicles and newer, less polluting vehicles on our roads will have had a significant effect. This could also be considered alongside changes in driving behaviour, move from diesel vehicles, less vehicle use and similar. There was also a noticeable change in air quality during periods of limited social engagement and people movement during the Covid pandemic.”
Air quality management areas are not intended to be in place for any longer than is necessary. As air quality improves, and air quality objectives are being met there is an expectation that local authorities will take steps to revoke these controlled areas. As trends of improving air quality have been noted in previous annual progress reports, the Scottish Government is recommending the council completes a review with a mind to revoke air quality management areas in West Lothian.
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