Air Quality Action Plan for Sandy consultation

Consultation closed: Tuesday 12 August 2025
Consultation opened: Thursday 17 July 2025

Air pollution poses a significant risk to both human health, particularly those affected by respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, the environment and its ecosystems and biodiversity.

Air pollution contributes to a wide range of health problems and can also lead to avoidable chronic illnesses. It disproportionately affects vulnerable groups such as children and older people and those with pre-existing heart and lung conditions. It is associated with an estimated 26,000 to 38,000 deaths annually in England. While people in good health may not experience serious short-term effects from moderate pollution levels, long-term or high-level exposure can lead to severe health consequences.

The UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) estimates that the costs of air pollution to health and social care services in England could reach between £5.3 and £18.6 billion between 2018 and 2035.

We're committed to reducing the exposure of people in Central Bedfordshire to poor air quality to improve health, reduce noise levels and benefit the environment.

Why have an air quality action plan (AQAP)?

We're legally required to produce an AQAP following the declaration of the Sandy Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), where nitrogen dioxide levels have exceeded national objectives. Road traffic has been identified as the primary source of nitrogen dioxide in the area, and the AQAP outlines the measures we will take to address this.

While the Sandy AQMA focuses on nitrogen dioxide, many of the proposed actions will also help reduce the amount of pollution in the air, which are increasingly recognised as harmful to health. The AQAP is not only about meeting legal requirements, but about preventing ill-health, improving life expectancy and quality of life, and delivering environmental benefits.

What is an air quality action plan (AQAP)?

An air quality action plan is a local plan to reduce air pollution and protect health and the environment. It outlines why action is needed, what the pollution impacts are, and what steps will be taken to reduce air pollution. It is closely aligned with other areas like transportation, land use, and our climate strategy.

We're required to produce air quality action plans (AQAPs) when an air quality management area (AQMA) is declared due to air pollution levels exceeding national air quality objectives.

Why is a new air quality action plan (AQAP) for Sandy required?

Where necessary, we may have to declare an air quality management area (AQMA). This is an area that we have designated for action because of existing or predicted exceedances of the air quality objectives, and this will involve the development and implementation of an action plan to reduce air pollution levels in that area.

Following a 2019 consultation, an air quality action plan was introduced for both the towns of Ampthill and Sandy. By 2024, monitoring showed that Ampthill had met nitrogen dioxide limits for 5 consecutive years, leading to the revocation of that air quality management area in 2025, in line with Defra’s TG24 guidance.

Even though we're hitting the objectives, we're still legally required to produce an updated AQAP for Sandy. This updated plan, which replaces the 2019 to 2024 version, continues to target road traffic—the primary source of nitrogen dioxide in the area. Based on 2023 traffic counts, diesel vehicles dominate the vehicle fleet: 44.8% were diesel cars, 30.2% diesel light goods vehicles (LGVs), 8.5% articulated HGVs, and 7.4% rigid HGVs. Petrol cars represented 7%, and conventional coaches 1.1%.

Since the last plan, several projects have been delivered to improve air quality in Sandy targeting the major source of pollution which is road transportation:

• upgrading existing electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment; developing and promoting new locations with various EV charging facilities (rapid charge) and trialing residential provision for those without driveways (pavement channels) – 8 charging points (7kW) have been installed in the High Street car park in Sandy
• developing local cycling and walking infrastructure plans (LCWIPs) for Sandy, Biggleswade, and Potton
• completion of the bus service improvement plan (BSIP) and development of an Enhanced Partnership between bus operators – the purpose of the partnership is to regularly review ongoing bus service improvements, develop and agree future ideas and plans
• re-introduction of a free-to-access air pollution alert system for Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire residents based on UK Air Quality Banding – the system is particularly beneficial to individuals with medical conditions that may be affected by pollution such as those with asthma or other respiratory conditions

This updated draft plan now focuses solely on Sandy and replaces the 2019 to 2024 AQAP.