Canterbury launches consultation on air quality measures

Canterbury council has launched a consultation on its planned measures to improve air quality over the period of 2018‐2023.

The strategy includes lowering emissions of the council’s own fleet of vehicles, as well as buses, taxis and freight operators.

The city council wants to raise awareness of idling emissions and is piloting a project at St Thomas and St John’s schools, with the aim of extending this to all of the primary schools in Canterbury.

It is also planning to adopt anti-idling enforcement powers which would be enforced at coach parks, on-street parking bays, taxi ranks and at level crossings.

The council also wants to work in ‘partnership’ with taxi drivers and operators to develop strategies to move to lower emission vehicles by 2023 through a mixture of incentives on fees, education, raising awareness and installing electric charging points at
taxi ranks.

The Council also plans to extend the current Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) to include Old Dover Rd, New Dover Road, Lower Chantry Lane, Military Road and Rheims Way to the existing area.

A new AQMA will also be created in Herne at the mini roundabout junction of the A291 and School Lane.

Public consultation on the city council’s draft air quality action plan runs until Friday 22 June.