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Transport and air quality in Coventry

Whilst air quality has undoubtedly improved in recent decades, with changing industrial practices and a decline in the use of fossil fuel both domestically and industrially, we still exceed the National Objective for NO2 levels at a number of locations within Coventry. Transport accounts for 49 per cent of UK NO2 emissions in 2016 and the rate of reduction from this sector has slowed down (Nitrogen Dioxide in the United Kingdom Summary, Air Quality Expert Group, 2004). This is due, in part, to the prevalence of diesel vehicles and congestion. View the GHG and energy datasets produced under the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory [http://naei.beis.gov.uk/data/local-authority].

Air pollution adversely affects the health of people at all stages of life, from childhood (including effects on the unborn child in the womb) through to older age. It contributes to the development or exacerbation of a range of health conditions, and is the largest environmental risk to public health, increasing the chances of people needing to access health services, particularly those people with respiratory and cardiovascular illness. Poor air quality affects everyone, especially the young, the old, those with long-term health conditions and those living in more deprived areas. (Air Quality: A Briefing for Directors of Public Health (2017) - DEFRA, Public Health England, Local Government Association).

Emissions from various forms of transport are a significant contributor to poor air quality within areas of Coventry, and a city-wide Air Quality Management Area is in place. This page sets out the plans that are being put in place to reduce vehicle emissions to meet the City Council's commitment to improving air quality throughout the city.

Air quality within Coventry is monitored by the Council's Environmental Protection Team.

National picture

In July 2017, the Government published the "United Kingdom Plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-plan-for-nitrogen-dioxide-no2-in-uk-2017]". Within this, Coventry was named as one of 28 towns and cities in England where NO2 levels are forecast to exceed legal limits in 2021. 

Coventry Local Air Quality Action Plan

The Council has worked closely with the Government's Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) to develop a plan to achieve the legal limits for NO2 within Coventry in the shortest possible time. You can see more detail about this in the Local Air Quality Action Plan page. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/68/pollution/171/air_quality/2] 

Things we are doing to improve air quality

We are doing lots of things to help improve air quality in the city. You can find out more about each of the initiatives below by clicking on the title links.

Segregated cycleways [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/cycling-1/segregated-cycleways] 

Electric Vehicle Charging Points [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/68/pollution/171/air_quality/6]

We have a network of electric vehicle charging points across the city for individuals and businesses

Electric fleet first - try before you buy scheme [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/68/pollution/171/air_quality/7]

Coventry City Council is gearing up for the start of the Electric Fleet First project. Thanks to funding from Highways England, this will enable us to provide electric vehicles for local organisations to trial. The two-year project will support efforts to reduce NO2 emissions on the local and strategic road network by encouraging businesses to switch to electric vans, pool cars and taxis.

Mobility Credits [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/mobilitycredits]

In a national first, Coventry residents with an older, polluting car can exchange their car for £3000 of mobility credits.

Very Light Rail [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/verylightrail]

Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR) is a research and development project, using the latest automotive expertise developed in the region to deliver an innovative and affordable light rail system.

Electric Buses

Coventry will be the first city in the country to host all electric buses. The target date is by 2025.

Cycling initiatives [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/cycling]

We have a number of initiatives to help people cycle more.

Do your bit for air quality

Anyone can make a difference by just making small changes to their everyday routines, The Clean Air Hub [https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/clean-air-hub] has everything you need to know about air pollution in one place.

Car use

Road traffic is a major source of air pollution in Coventry. You can help reduce this impact by:

In the home

  • choose paints and wood preservatives that are marked as containing low VOC content.
  • avoid having garden bonfires. As well as annoying your neighbours, bonfires release poisonous gases and particulates which add to local air pollution and global warming.  Compost and recycle your garden waste. See our bonfires page for information on composting and the legal action that can be taken for smoke nuisances.
  • Please see the Burnright website for more information about using your fire correctly [https://burnright.co.uk/]. This includes advice on choosing the right fuel, what not to burn and how to use your fire or woodburning stove.

Further advice is available from the Clear Air Hub website [https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/clean-air-hub].

Air quality and transport

Address: PO Box 15
Council House
Earl Street
Coventry
CV1 5RR

Coventry Local Air Quality Action Plan

Cleaner air for Coventry - the next stage

Air pollution is having a harmful impact on the health of people living, working and studying within Coventry. Like many towns and cities throughout the UK, roadside pollution levels, especially those resulting from Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) emissions from traffic, are a concern.

In Coventry we have analysed the scale of the problem by air quality monitoring and traffic modelling undertaken by the Council.

Since 2017 the Council has been working closely with the Government’s Joint Air Quality Unit [JAQU] to develop an Action Plan to reduce NO2 levels below the legal limit of 40ug/m3 in the shortest possible time. 

In February 2020, following submission of the Outline Business Case and modelling in 2019, the Government confirmed that Coventry does not need to introduce a charging Clean Air Zone [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/37321/defra-letter-to-george-duggins](CAZ D), which would have seen older and more polluting vehicles charged for entering a large area of the city. 

Instead, the Government has agreed that the package of measures put forward by the Council [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7014/local-air-quality-action-plan---background-documents] could be effective in reducing NO2 levels without the wider social and economic disbenefits that the CAZ D would have created.

In line with the Government direction, the Full Business Case [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7015/laqap-full-business-case]has now been completed, and was submitted to Government in December 2020/February 2021, following Cabinet approval.

The resulting Local Air Quality Action Plan (LAQAP) has been based on air quality and traffic monitoring data and modelling [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/6046/air_quality_technical_reports], and the package of measures focusses on improving NO2 levels at those locations where particular problems have been identified, which are Holyhead Road and Foleshill Road.

The LAQAP package focuses upon encouraging local trips to be made by walking and cycling rather than the car, with significant investment in a new high-quality cycle route between Coundon and the city centre, and on an engagement programme with schools, businesses and local communities building on the successful work already done in the Walsgrave corridor. 

The Holyhead Road abatement element of the package includes targeted junction and road layout changes on Holyhead Road and parallel routes to allow traffic to flow more freely, reduce congestion and to provide better walking and cycling routes into the city. These measures will allow the traffic flows on Holyhead Road to be reduced through restrictions if necessary to allow NO2 levels to be brought below legal limits on this route.

On Foleshill Road, traffic management measures will be introduced to remove through traffic, which will be encouraged to use the A444 to access the city centre instead.

The government has endorsed this package and has awarded the Council £25.4 million in grant funding to deliver it. 

Coventry Local Air Quality Action Plan consultation

The Council consulted with the public and businesses on the Plan in March 2018 and in Spring 2020 and amended the package to reflect the feedback received.

The Council then consulted on the detail of the schemes [https://letstalk.coventry.gov.uk/improvingaq]in Spon End, Junction 7 and Upper Hill Street in November and December 2021. The responses have been captured in a Consultation Report. [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7077/improving-air-quality---changes-to-the-road-network-consultation-reports] The Council considered all the comments received and the key themes and the Council’s responses have been documented. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7077/improving-air-quality---changes-to-the-road-network-consultation-reports]

The Council has now reviewed the detail of the scheme designs following the comments that were received and is making some changes, but some preparatory work needs to take place so you may see some activity at the sites. The Government’s legal direction for the Council to implement the Plan still applies, however, and any substantive changes to the package will require Government approval before they could be applied.

Monitoring air quality in Coventry

Coventry, like many towns and cities in the UK, can have poor air quality, particularly close to areas with high levels of traffic.

The Environment Act 1995 introduced local air quality management (LAQM) which says all local authorities must assess air quality within their district. If the air quality in any area is not good enough, the local authority must declare an air quality management area (AQMA) and prepare an Action Plan to improve the air quality.

An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) [/downloads/download/3320/air_quality_management_area_aqma_order] for the whole of Coventry was declared in 2009 because of high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

As the whole city was named, we are able to make a detailed plan for air quality across Coventry, giving more power to tackle problem areas and help improve the air quality.

Pollution monitoring

The National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) 2007 aims to protect human health by setting objectives and targets for key pollutants. These include fine particulates (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. 

We carry out checks around the city to find areas of poor air quality. The main pollutants of concern in Coventry are nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns (less than 0.0025th of a millimetre) in diameter.

Environmental Protection monitor pollution levels with a variety of methods.

Diffusion tubes

Nitrogen dioxide is measured by small plastic tubes with a metal grid at one end which is coated with a chemical to absorb the nitrogen dioxide. The tubes are replaced every 4-5 weeks and sent for analysis at a laboratory. Because of their low cost, these tubes can be used in a wide area and we have about 60 around the city on busy roads and junctions. However, the tubes only help find annual averages as tube results have an uncertainty of +/- 25% they undergo a series of calculations in line with Defra Technical Guidance TG16 to produce the annual average result.

The team reviews information from the tubes on a regular basis to help keep a check on air quality.

Map of the location of the diffusion tubes around Coventry. The sites where Nitrogen Dioxide levels are less than 40µg/m3 are marked in green, and those that are over are marked in red. 

AQ Mesh monitors

We are currently trialling two AQ Mesh monitors at one location in the city. These are small, battery-operated units that measure nitrogen dioxide. We are investigating procuring more of these monitors in order to monitor at more locations in the future.

Pollution data 

Further information on air quality monitoring in Coventry and the West Midlands, including pollutant levels and monitoring results [https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/latest/index?zone_id=16#summary].

Reviewing and assessing air quality

The Environmental Protection Team use information from the monitoring sites across Coventry to check air quality levels in the city against national standards and come up with plans if any problems are found.

The pollutants we assess are named in the air quality strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All local authorities in the UK have to follow a 10-year air quality timetable which started in May 2003.

Defra has recently changed the way that we report on air quality so that instead of five different reports, a single Annual Status Report (ASR) is now required. An ASR must include a public-facing executive summary, a clear statement of improvement measures being taken, an update on progress, information on how the main pollutants are being measured, modelled and assessed, how the plan links with transport and public health activities and to identify any new hot spots of pollution. The ASR must be published by 30 June for the first year and thereafter by 30 April each year.

Download air quality assessments and reports. [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/618/air_quality_in_coventry]

Air quality and transport

Address: PO Box 15
Council House
Earl Street
Coventry
CV1 5RR

Early measures

£2.021 million grant funding was secured from Government for an early measures programme focusing on the A4600 corridor running between the city centre and M6 Junction 2.

The main project measures delivered included:

  • improvement of the traffic signals at Walsgrave Road / Clay Lane / Brays Lane junction at Ball Hill to reduce congestion.
  • the introduction of new technology to improve traffic management along the corridor through integration of traffic signals, air quality monitoring and information systems.
  • a scheme to encourage local taxi drivers to try out locally manufactured electric taxis on a trial basis with the aim of ultimately replacing diesel powered vehicles with cleaner vehicles.
  • engagement with local schools, businesses and communities to promote active and sustainable travel for local journeys, taking car trips off the road.

Electric Vehicle Charging Point Network

ESB EV Solutions Rapid Electric Vehicle Charging Point Network

A city-wide network of  39 rapid electric vehicle charging points have been installed by ESB EV Solutions in association with Coventry City Council and are now available for customers to use.

The locations are:

  • 125-153 Lockhurst Lane, Coventry - 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • 341 Holbrook Lane, Coventry - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • 48-62 Clay Lane, Coventry - 3 Rapid Charge Points
  • 487-489 Holyhead Road, Coventry - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • Binley Road (Opp. No.12), Coventry - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • Binley Road Car Park, Coventry - 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • Cannon Park Shopping Centre, Coventry - 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • Cecily Road, Coventry - 3 Rapid Charge Points
  • Cox Street, Coventry - 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • Croft Road, Coventry - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • Foleshill Road (Opp. No. 625), Coventry 2 - Rapid Charge Points
  • Greyfriars Road, Coventry - 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • Holbrook Lane (Opp. No. 178), Coventry - 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • Lower Ford Street, Coventry - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • Manor Road, Coventry - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • Queen Victoria Road, Coventry - 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • Red Lane, Coventry - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • Salt Lane Car Park, Coventry - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • Trinity Street, Coventry -  2 Rapid Charge Points
  • Lower Holyhead Road  - 1 Rapid Charge Point
  • 26 Stoke Green (Opposite Tick-tock Park), Binley Road, Coventry - 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • 16-4 Cramper's Field, Coventry – 2 Rapid Charge Points
  • Jubilee Crescent (outside Asda), Radford, Coventry- 2 Rapid Charge Points

Access and use is available via ESB's 'EV Plug In' mobile app and/ or with an ESB EV Solutions charge point access card.

Find your nearest ESB EV Solutions charging point. [https://www.esb-evsolutions.co.uk/find-a-charge-point]

All the options offered by ESB can be found on their web site https://www.esbenergy.co.uk/ev/coventry [https://www.esbenergy.co.uk/ev/coventry]

Sign up [http://www.esb-evsolutions.co.uk/coventry] and/or download the EV Plug In app on Google Play or the Apple App Store [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ev-plug-in/id1317587044].

To complement this further, confirmation from Government has been received on the extension of the Plug-in Car Grant scheme [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/plugincargrant], with an increased emphasis upon zero emission vehicles, light vans and electric cargo bikes. This is available for both private individuals and businesses.  For the last 7 years, the Plug-in Car Grant (PICG) has provided a discount to the price of over 160,000 new ultra-low emission vehicles. This is part of the governments Road to Zero Strategy. Go to your nearest dealer to make enquiries about this grant.

Finally, Coventry has collaborated over the last year with Warwickshire County Council on a joint Public Health active travel campaign "Choose How you Move [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/activetravel]": plan your journey more actively today.

Electric Fleet First - Try before you buy scheme

Coventry City Council has now ended the electric vehicle project and the trial scheme is no longer available.  

After two years of successful trials, businesses and taxi drivers across Coventry have contributed to reducing the city's NOx (Nitron Oxide) and CO2 (Carbon) footprint on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) whilst also converting their own vehicles/fleet to electric alternatives. 

Coventry City Council will now work closely with National Highways to finalise and report the project findings.

Thank you!

 

 

Electric Fleet First - Charging infrastructure support

As part of this trial, Coventry City Council strive to support all participants with information and guidance on electric vehicle (EV) charging. We’ve partnered with EO Charging [https://www.eocharging.com/], one of the UK’s leading EV charging providers, to offer reliable and premium charging solutions for Coventry’s residents and businesses. Charging infrastructure can be a concern for many when considering switching to electric - this trial is the perfect opportunity to not only get behind the wheel of an EV, but also explore the world of EV charging. EO Charging [https://www.eocharging.com/] will be there to support you every step of the way and will conduct an onsite survey assessment to understand your business’ requirements and discuss your charging needs.

EO Charging [https://www.eocharging.com/] will advise you and provide a charging package tailored to your site, enabling you to take your first steps towards an electric future. Installing a charging infrastructure can be expensive, but EO Charging are offering £50 off the first 100 charge points that are installed at Coventry’s forward-thinking businesses. To make this even more affordable, we’ll also provide a £100 grant for charging infrastructure for participants of this trial who purchase EO chargers.

Find out more about Plug In Coventry network and the range of charging options available to your business [https://www.plugincoventry.org/workplace-charging].

Coventry Electric Bus City – Proposed closure of Cox Street Car Park and application to Stop Up Highway (part of Ford Street)

The Department for Transport (DfT) launched the All-Electric Bus Town fund in February 2020, with £50 million in grant funding made available to allow one town or city within England to make the transition to a bus network operated fully by electric powered buses. The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), as the strategic transport authority, submitted an Expression of Interest, which was developed by Coventry City Council in partnership with Warwickshire County Council, Transport for West Midlands and incumbent Coventry and Warwickshire bus operators.

Consideration of the full business case (FBC) was devolved from the DfT to the WMCA, which is now the accountable body for the Coventry and Warwickshire scheme. The FBC was approved by the WMCA board on 19th March 2021 and the funding of £50 million was passported from the DfT to the WMCA on 31st March 2021, allowing the project to proceed.

As a result, Coventry will see over 290 electric buses operating within the city by the end of 2025, supporting the Council’s objectives of a green economic recovery through the de-carbonisation of the city’s transport network, with an estimated emissions saving of around 24,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 55 tonnes of nitrogen dioxide per year.


To facilitate the electrification of the bus fleet, it is necessary to provide additional land in the vicinity of the West Midlands Travel Ltd bus depot and the Pool Meadow bus station to accommodate an electric bus charging facility. Cox St car park, as shown on the plan at Appendix 1 to the Cabinet report [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7195/cox-st-car-park-closure-cabinet-report], is ideally located for this initiative and so it is proposed that the car park is closed to the public and the site re-purposed as a bus charging facility.

It is further proposed to stop up the length of public highway in Ford Street as shown on the plan in Appendix 2 to the Cabinet Report [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7195/cox-st-car-park-closure-cabinet-report], (see pdf of Cabinet Report right of this page), which serves as a public vehicular access to Cox Street car park. This is to facilitate seamless integration and access to the electric bus charging infrastructure.

A fleet of 130 zero-emission double decker buses will be introduced next year as part of this project to make Coventry the UK’s first all-electric bus city.

National Express Coventry has ordered the brand-new British built zero-emission buses to enter into service in early 2023, helping improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions in the city.

Documents relating to the Stopping up of Highway

Enquiries should be directed to Transportation and Highways:

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