Survey on Draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP4)

City of York Council’s (CYC) Fourth Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP4) outlines the action CYC will take to further improve air quality in York over the next 5 years to go beyond health-based National Air Quality Objectives in all areas and work towards meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines. AQAP4 aims to reduce concentrations of air pollutants and exposure to air pollution, thereby improving the health and quality of life of residents and visitors to York. AQAP4 has been developed to reflect growing evidence about the health impacts of air pollution, updated work to consider local sources of air pollution and the current air quality in York compared to the health-based standards.

Measures in AQAP4 are aligned to the Council Plan and reflects ambitions contained within our 10-year strategies covering climate, health and wellbeing and the economy. AQAP4 firmly embeds the Council Plan’s priority of sustainable, accessible transport and energy-efficient, healthy homes for all. Through delivery of the measures in AQAP4, CYC will continue to work towards making York a city that offers some of the best urban air quality in the UK.

We have produced a Consultation Summary document to provide background information. This summary outlines the AQAP4 priority areas and actions for improving air quality. Please read the updated Air Quality Action Plan (Full Document) and/or Consultation Summary and complete the attached survey.

Our survey asks for some personal information which you may choose not to give. We do not publish or share any information which can identify you. To find out more about how we protect your personal information, please see our ‘AQAP4 Consultation Privacy Notice’ available at https://data.yorkopendata.org/dataset/consultation-privacy-notices. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting public.protection@york.gov.uk

Completed questionnaires can be handed to staff at West Offices/ Hazel Court reception, or sent to:

City of York Council, Public Protection (Air Quality)

Eco Depot, Hazel Court, York, YO10 3DS

Email: public.protection@york.gov.uk

The consultation period will end on Sunday 4th February 2024. Responses received after this date cannot be considered.

We will begin by asking some questions about you. You may choose not to answer or select 'prefer not to say' to any question. Please circle your responses.

1. Your age:

Prefer not to say	40-55
Under 16	56-59
16-24	60-64
25-39	65+

2. Your Gender

Prefer not to say	Female
Male	Non-binary / Gender Variant

3. Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?

Prefer not to say

Yes

4. What is your ethnic group?

Prefer not to say	Mixed – White and Black African	Any other Asian background
White – English / Welsh / Scottish / Northern Irish / British	Mixed – White and Asian	Black - African
White – Irish	Any other Mixed / multiple ethnic background	Black - Caribbean
White – Gypsy or Irish Traveller	Asian - Indian	Any other Black / Black British / African / Caribbean background
White - Roma	Asian - Pakistani	Other - Arab
Any other White background	Asian - Bangladeshi	Any other ethnic background
Mixed – White and Black Caribbean	Asian - Chinese

5. Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last 12 months or more?

Yes

Prefer not to say

6. If you answered “Yes” above, do any of your conditions or illnesses reduce your ability to carry out day-to-day activities?

A lot

A little

Not at all

7. What is your religion or belief?

Prefer not to say	Jewish
Buddhist	Sikh
Christian	No religion
Hindu	Other
If ‘Other’ please tell us what your religion or belief is or leave blank if you prefer not to say

8. Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation?

Prefer not to say	Gay or Lesbian	Other
Bisexual	Heterosexual / straight

9. Do you look after, or give any help or support to, anyone because they have long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or problems related to old age? (Excluding anything which is part of paid employment)

Yes

Prefer not to say

The remaining questions in the survey relate to our Fourth Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP4)

10. To help us to understand who we have consulted with, please indicate which of these statements best describes the views you have provided in this consultation response

· I am a local resident and these are my personal views (please go to question 12)

· I am a non-York resident and these are my personal views (please go to question 12)

· These comments are provided in my professional/business capacity (please go to question 11)

11. If responding in a professional or business capacity, please indicate which type of organisation or industry you represent (tick or circle all that apply)

· Local government / Local authority officer

· Central government organisation

· Local retailer / trader / service provider

· University / Academic organisation

· Bus operator / driver

· Taxi operator / driver

· Freight operator / haulier

· Environmental charity or pressure group

· Health related charity of pressure group

· Healthcare professional

· Industrial process / large scale manufacturing

· Land use planning / planning consultant

· Environmental consultant / solicitor

· Low emission vehicle industry / EV infrastructure provider

· Other (please state nature of the business)

...............................................................................................................

12. What is your postcode?

If responding in a personal capacity provide postcode of home address
If responding in a professional or business capacity provide postcode of your work address / business premises
I prefer not to say (Move to next question)	-

13. Before reading the draft Air Quality Action Plan, how concerned were you about air quality in York?

· Very concerned

· Moderately concerned

· Slightly concerned

· Not concerned

14. After reading the draft Air Quality Action Plan, how concerned are you about air quality in York?

· Very concerned

· Moderately concerned

· Slightly concerned

· Not concerned

15. Should the council continue to reduce air pollution?

· Strongly agree

· agree

· neither agree or disagree

· disagree

· strongly disagree

16. The draft Air Quality Action Plan sets out our priority areas to reduce emissions and improve air quality further in York over the next 5 years. Please indicate your level of support for each of these areas by ticking the relevant box.

Note: a summary of the anticipated air quality benefits for each is provided in the main AQAP4 document (see section 5 and Appendix C)

Area	Strongly Support	Support	Neutral	Against	Strongly Against
Reducing emissions from freight / delivery vehicles
Reducing emissions from buses
Reducing emissions from idling vehicles
Reducing emissions from taxis
Reducing emissions from council vehicles (CYC Fleet)
Expand Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging
Minimising development related emissions
Incentives for low emission vehicles / alternative fuels
Improved public information and awareness
Modal shift, active travel and network improvement (includes reducing car dependency, reducing congestion and promoting walking, cycling and public transport measures)
Reducing non-transport related emissions arising from domestic combustion sources (e.g. burning of solid fuels, including wood, at home)
Reducing non-transport related emissions arising from industrial combustion sources
Monitoring air quality / access to air quality information

17. Do you agree or disagree that the measures outlined in the updated Air Quality Action Plan will help reduce to pollution and improve air quality in York?

· Strongly agree

· agree

· neither agree or disagree

· disagree

· strongly disagree

18. Are there any measures in the draft plan that you consider should be given greater priority in the short term (<2 years)?

Please state below which measures you consider should be given greater priority and why.

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

………………………………………………………………………………………….

19. Are there any other measures that you would like to see included in the draft plan that are currently not included.

Please state below.

20. Which of these measures do you do / would you do to improve air quality in York. Please tick only one column for each option.

Option	I currently do	I propose to do	I do not propose to do
Use my car less
Walk more
Cycle more
Buy an e-Bike / try an e-scooter
Use the bus
Share a lift
Join a car club / car share scheme
Shop locally / order online
Use a lower emission vehicle / electric vehicle
Switch off vehicle engine when stationary to prevent idling emissions
Reduce use of open fire / solid fuel burning stove
Review air quality information available from CYC to help reduce my exposure to poor air quality
Consider modifying my daily behavior to reduce polluting activities (e.g. driving less, walking more, avoid solid fuel burning) where air pollution in York is forecast to be ‘high’ on a specific day and CYC alerts me to this.
Consider home / business energy efficiency upgrades (e.g. insulation) to reduce carbon and other emissions
Replace gas boiler with lower carbon / lower emission technologies (e.g. heat pumps)
Attend community events in York (or online webinars) about energy efficiency / building retrofit solutions

If there are any barriers that prevent you from doing these things at the moment, please provide brief comments below:

21. Other comments

If you have any other specific comments on the draft Air Quality Action Plan or other suggestions for improving air quality in York, please write them here:

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Thank you for completing the survey.

Completed surveys can be handed in to staff at West Offices / Hazel Court reception, or sent to: City of York Council, Public Protection (Air Quality), Eco Depot, Hazel Court, York, YO10 3DS
The closing date for responses is Sunday 4^th Feb 2024.