Introduction Aylesbury Aylesbury Vale is a large Shire District covering about 900 km², well over half the county of Buckinghamshire.  The Vale has long been a flourishing agricultural area but, with the expansion of Aylesbury as a commercial, and industrial town, it has now a much wider economic and social base. The Vale has a population of around 166,000 (2010 data) which represents about 40% of the total population of the county. Aylesbury Town is the administrative centre for both the District and County Councils and has a population of about 68,800. In the rural sector of the vale there are well over 100 smaller settlements including the towns of Buckingham, Winslow and Wendover. The whole Vale has a population of about 174,100 (2011 census). The main source of pollution in the Vale is vehicle emissions. The transport network has several clearly identifiable roads: A 41 High Street-Tring Road corridor which runs east from Aylesbury town and provides a connection to the M25 and London. A 418 which runs north to Wing and then to Leighton Buzzard (from which the A4146 runs to Milton Keynes). A 413 running north to Buckingham. A 41 (west) running to Bicester and the M40. A418 Oxford Road running South-West to Thame, Oxford and the M40. Although there are no major industrial polluting processes in the area there are a number of smaller processes which may potentially produce emissions. We authorise many of these under the Pollution Prevention and Control/Environmental Permitting  Regulations and consequently their emissions are prevented or minimised. Other larger industrial or agricultural processes  are regulated by the Environment Agency. These include several large poultry farms and a vegetable matter drying plant. Outside the Vale, major sites like Didcot Power Station are few, and because of the distances involved, do not significantly influence  our air quality. Summary of Previous Air Quality Review and Assessments Our first review and assessment (completed in December 2000) found that the risk of the air quality objectives being exceeded for all but one of the seven pollutants was negligible, and no further action was therefore required. For nitrogen dioxide (NO2) more information (in the form of continuous roadside pollution monitoring and detailed traffic data) was required before conclusions could be made. When this was undertaken in 2001 at one of the two (traffic) hot spots identified during the initial assessment, the results clearly demonstrated that levels of NO2 were well below the air quality standard.Continuous monitoring at the second hot spot in Aylesbury was the focus of our second review and assessment program completed in June 2003. Again the results showed that there was no need to declare any air quality management areas.Detailed Assessment work continued at a traffic hot spot identified along a stretch of  the A41Tring Road, Aylesbury. Automatic monitoring of nitrogen dioxide began in February 2004 for a period of six months. Followed by additional monitoring between October 2004 and February 2005. From the results it was concluded that the annual mean air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide was likely to be exceeded where relevant exposure (approximately 110 houses near to kerbside). The source of the pollution was vehicle emissions. Consequently, in July 2005 an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was formally declared along the A41Tring Road between the junction with Oakfield Road and Queen Street to the West.  In April 2006 our Updating and Screening Assessment was completed. This study recommended a further Detailed Assessment for nitrogen dioxide to be undertaken at two additional traffic hot spots in Aylesbury. The subsequent Detailed Assessment was submitted to DEFRA for their approval in April 2007. The report recommended the declaration of a further two AQMAs in Aylesbury Town’s busy gyratory system – Stoke Road Gyratory affecting approximately 56 residential properties, and Friarage/Oxford Road encompassing 56 properties. Two new AQMAs were formally declared in July 2008. See plans of our current three AQMAs and review and assessment summary  in table below In April 2009 another USA was completed, and recommended detailed assessments for nitrogen dioxide as detailed below in Table 1. In April 2010 a Progress Report was submitted to DEFRA. This was followed in October 2010 by a Detailed Assessment (Part 1) for nitrogen dioxide which considered the potential declaration of further AQMAs at the A41 Bicester Road, Aylesbury, and a eastern extension to the existing A41 Tring Road AQMA. Our 2010 Detailed Assessments, 2011 Progress Report, and 2012 USA were submitted to DEFRA. These reports provided details of potential  AQMA declarations in Winslow, Buckingham and additional sites in Aylesbury. Alternatively, one large single AQMA should be considered for Aylesbury Town.  Decisions on these and whether to declare a single large AQMA were deferred subject to political approval of the Vale of Aylesbury  Plan.  In 2012/13 additional Detailed Assessments were completed for Waddesdon High Street and Aylesbury Town. The latter study consisted of a baseline inventory development and identification and evaluation by modelling of a number of potential growth scenarios around Aylesbury.

Report Date Outcome Recommendation Action Stage 1-3 Dec 2000 Objectives will be met No stage 4. none USA Oct 2003 Objectives met except for NOs potentially (DA)  for NOx Automatic monitoring at traffic hot spot DA 2004-2005 NO2 annual mean exceedence likely Declare AQMA AQMA 1 declared July 2005; Action Plan and Progress Report submitted USA April 2009 exceedence possible east of AQMA1, DA for NOx  based on Model/extrapolate data and decide if  Bicester Road A41, 2008/9/10 Monitoring AQMAs need to be formally declared. Winslow High Street data and Buckingham town centre Winslow, Buckingham Progress Apr 2011 Completed Continue with program Report

DA Oct 2010 NO2 annual mean measured at

USA May 2012 Exceedences possible at Winslow, Consider declaring one . TBC Buckingham, and Aylesbury Town  single AQMA in Aylesbury to incorporate 3 current AQMAs and new hot-spots. Consider Winslow, and Buckingham subject to successful agreement with town council for automatic monitoring site for Buckingham DA Feb 2013 A41 Waddesdon High Street NO2 No need to declare Continue to monitor objectives will be met AQMA. with diffusion tubes DA Mar 2013 Report 1.Baseline Inventory Development. TBC Report 2. Identification of Measures and Additional modelling funded by 2021 Inventory Development. Report 3. DEFRA grant Evaluation of Measures. Further information:

Table 1