Detailed Assessment of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and
particulate matter concentrations at receptor locations in
proximity to the Port of Felixstowe boundary and its main access
routes was completed in May 2008. A report detailing the findings
was taken to the Council’s Cabinet in February 2009 for approval.
You can view the report by following the link below:
The report concluded that currently, at all receptor locations,
the air quality for all three pollutants is within the Government’s
objectives with the exception of one property. At the Dooley Inn,
Ferry Lane, Felixstowe, annual mean levels of nitrogen dioxide are
above the air quality objective and the report recommended that we
should consider declaring an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) at
this location to tackle the exceedance.
The Council’s Cabinet approved the findings of the report,
together with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra), and an Air Quality Management Area Order came into effect
on 1 May 2009:
Further Assessment for Ferry Lane, Felixstowe AQMA
Following declaration of an AQMA, a Further Assessment must be
made of the air quality and be reported back to Defra within 12
months and an Action Plan must be drafted to assess the options
available to try and achieve the air quality objectives.
The Further Assessment for the Ferry Lane, Felixstowe AQMA was
completed in April 2010 and sent to Defra who approved the
findings. The Further Assessment looked at additional monitoring
data collected for the AQMA and other nearby locations. It also
re-modelled pollutant concentrations at receptor locations around
the port boundary for nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and
particulate matter (PM10).
The modelling assessment confirmed the findings of the 2008
Detailed Assessment, with exceedance of only the annual mean
objective for nitrogen dioxide predicted at the Dooley Inn on Ferry
Lane. No exceedances of any other pollutant objectives are
predicted at any receptor locations. The Further Assessment
confirms that the AQMA should be retained.
The Further Assessment included a source apportionment exercise
to determine where the majority of the emissions affecting the AQMA
arise from. Container handling activities on the port, and heavy
duty vehicles on roads external to the port were found to make the
greatest contribution to nitrogen dioxide levels within the AQMA.
The findings of the source apportionment exercise will be used to
inform the draft air quality Action Plan which must be drawn up for
this location.
Within the Action Plan the baseline situation in the future year
of 2013 will be assessed, incorporating the Felixstowe South Port
Reconfiguration. The baseline situation will be compared with the
situations resulting from the implementation of various action plan
measures to determine the impact these are likely to have on air
quality within the AQMA and surrounding area.
Work on production of a draft Action Plan is progressing and the
Council will undertake further public consultation on the measures
to be included. Comments received from this consultation will
then be fed into formulation of the final Action
Plan.