Smart cameras to improve air quality rolled out in Bath

Smart cameras and equipment to count incoming traffic are to be deployed by Bath & North East Somerset Council at a range of locations including rush hour hotspots over the coming weeks.

The temporary measures, installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and automated traffic count (ATC) equipment, are aimed at building up a better understanding of the sort of vehicles that journey into and out of Bath as proposals are developed to improve air quality along the A4 London to Bath road.

The Council has worked closely with the central government Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) on the nature and extent of the surveys which will run for two weeks from Friday, 1 November, with additional traffic counts being carried out to supplement the ANPR data.

Bath has been identified by the government as an area where nitrogen dioxide levels are projected to exceed national air quality objectives beyond 2021.Work being undertaken by the council will explore measures which will improve air quality.

The Council is preparing an initial action plan which will be finalised by March 2018 to be followed by a final draft before the end of next year. This strategy will build upon the wider Bath Air Quality Action Plan which is currently being consulted on.

Councillor Bob Goodman, (Conservative, Combe Down) cabinet member for development and neighbourhoods, said: “This technology is being deployed only to gather information for the basis of our Air Quality Action Plan to help us improve air quality. It will not be used for any other purposes.

“We know that there is increasing evidence that air quality has an important effect on public health, the economy and the environment and tackling vehicle emissions and improving air quality is one of the most urgent challenges in towns and cities across the UK.”

Consultation on the Bath Air Quality Action Plan runs until November 26, 2017.