Frequently asked questions

Following the release of the Government's UK Plan to tackle roadside nitrogen dioxide levels, Derby was identified as one of five authorities (outside London) required to implement an action plan to improve air quality. Alongside Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham and Southampton, Derby was included in this first wave because national modelling suggested locations existed on the city’s transport network where nitrogen dioxide concentrations would exceed prescribed limits by 2020, if no action was taken.

Several contributing factors effect air quality however, the main activity that causes locally high levels of air pollution is the use of motor vehicles, particularly those with diesel engines.

Road transport is estimated to be responsible for up to 70% of the harm associated with urban air pollution.

There is increasing evidence demonstrating that long term exposure to air pollution is harmful at levels well below current air quality limits / targets which is causing a significant morbidity and mortality burden in Derby.

By far the largest disease burden attributable to environmental exposure and management of chemicals is related to exposure to air pollution.

The first phase of works involved surveying and drain cleaning which did not cause too much disruption to the travelling public, lasting only a couple of weeks.

Following that, changes to kerb lines and traffic signals at junctions resulted in longer waiting times and diversions for pedestrians.

Every effort was made to reduce peak period disruption and drivers were advised to allow extra time for their journeys, choose alternative modes of travel or seek alternative routes.

To shorten the duration of the works, the end of Brick Street was closed during this phase which will resulted in a short diversion for drivers.

Following an eight-week public consultation in August and September 2018, Derby City Council selected and refined the preferred option to address roadside nitrogen oxide air quality issues in the city.

The assessments showed that the traffic management option was the best option for Derby and further refinement of this option was undertaken following the consultation process to ensure that it was the best option for the aims of the project.

There was extensive stakeholder engagement and consultation about air quality and specifically the Local Air Quality Plan for tackling roadside nitrogen oxide emissions in Derby.

In addition to two rounds of public consultation, during the development of the plan, there was ongoing engagement with local businesses and groups representing economic, health and environmental interests both in the city and the sub-region.

One example of this was the site visit with cycling representatives to identify and help mitigate specific scheme concerns.

Consultation results and stakeholder suggestions were fed into the mitigation measures and the development of the Clean Air Fund (CAF) bid.

Further consideration was given to other funding sources available to deliver other measures of support the wider air quality agenda.

We would like to thank all those who participated in our consultations.

It is entirely funded by DEFRA grants.

Derby and Nottingham have received £161m for transport improvements through the Government’s’ Transforming Cities Fund which aimed to improve connections between major employment sites and promote active travel and public transport.

Confirmed in the Chancellor’s Budget on Wednesday 11 March 2020, the new funding was expected to have a major impact on connectivity between Derby and Nottingham, focusing on four main areas:

• City centre connectivity
• Better connecting Derby, Nottingham and East Midlands Airport
• Nottingham growth corridor
• Derby growth corridors including:
  • Smart Park & Ride Hubs
  • Mass Transit Link
  • Demand Responsive Transport service
  • ‘Bus priority corridors’
  • Cycle lane improvements along key routes to employment sites
  • Workplace Travel Service

Derby City Council is committed to improving air quality for all of its residents as stated in its Air Quality Plan.

The outcomes of the consultation and the decision to take the combined authority proposal forward should be revealed in spring 2023.

The timescales for a new local transport plan are still being discussed with central Government and we expect a proposed new LTP by May 2024, subject to moving forward with the combined authority.