Our national planning policy document, 'Planning Policy Wales', has been rewritten and restructured around the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The revised document now contains a dedicated section on air quality and soundscape, and this consultation on 'Planning Policy Wales' closes on 18 May.

I will establish the clean air Wales programme to consider evidence and develop and implement actions required across Welsh Government departments and sectors to ensure clean air for Wales. Its immediate aim will be to achieve compliance with existing legislative air quality obligations, but its wider purpose is to reduce the burden of poor air quality on human health and the environment. This can be achieved through planning, infrastructure, regulation and communication measures. If the programme identifies gaps in the necessary levers to make required air quality improvements, I will seek to develop new legislation to address this.

A core component of this programme will be the clean air plan for Wales, which I will publish for consultation by the end of this year. It will set out how we will achieve improvements in air quality and support our well-being goals. It will identify cross-Government and sectoral actions required to achieve clean air in Wales, and highlight communication, engagement and education measures to encourage behavioural change. It will also include actions for strengthening the regulation of emissions from different sectors of industry. Areas such as Port Talbot present particular challenges in relation to the contribution to poor air quality made by industrial pollution. I've instructed an update of our short-term action plan for Port Talbot to ensure we maintain the most effective way of reducing pollution in the region.

Another important aspect of the programme is the development and establishment of the air quality monitoring and assessment centre for Wales in 2019. I informed the Assembly previously that this centre is being established to ensure decisions on tackling airborne pollution are evidence based, and associated actions are prioritised to maximise benefits in terms of public health and well-being.

Our draft clean air zone framework for Wales consultation will be launched tomorrow. A clean air zone is a defined geographical area where a range of actions can be applied with the purpose of significantly reducing public and environmental exposure to airborne pollutants. The framework sets out our principles for the consistent operation of clean air zones in Wales, how they should be established and what they should deliver to improve the health of our communities. We do not currently have any clean air zones in Wales, although local authorities could introduce them to address illegal exceedances of harmful emissions. Where evidence suggests that they could bring about marked health benefits by securing effective reductions in airborne pollution, I would welcome the use of them.

A key component of clean air zones will be a mechanism for managing traffic access to promote reductions in overall traffic levels and limit harm caused to health and the environment by remaining vehicles. This will not be popular, however we must generate behaviour change by encouraging less-harmful modes of travel. The proposed model for Wales requires certain vehicles using the roads to meet the latest Euro emissions standards in order to be able to travel within the boundaries of the clean air zone. This could be introduced through the introduction of access restrictions for the most polluting vehicles, such as bans or charges.

I recognise concerns that access restrictions could hit those least able to upgrade or replace their vehicles the hardest and may find it more difficult to meet any access charges that could be applied. The framework is clear that an economic impact assessment should be undertaken to evaluate potential impacts that may result from any restrictions that will apply within a clean air zone and to determine potential mitigations to limit any negative consequences. Assessment should consider the full potential impact of a proposed clean air zone, and I expect costs and benefits to be carefully weighed. Any action taken to address air quality issues must be proportionate and in line with our well-being of future generations requirements. Access restrictions for vehicles will also need to go hand in hand with access improvements for other, less-polluting modes of transport. The framework promotes a modal shift to public transport and active travel, greatly reducing emissions and road congestion not just within the clean air zone, but in neighbouring roads also.

Effective public engagement and support is central to the success of clean air zones. We will develop communication and engagement measures to raise awareness of the health problems associated with poor air quality to ensure the public is fully informed and understands the reasons for action. With this in mind, tomorrow I will launch the new, improved Air Quality in Wales website, enabling bilingual access for all to air quality information in Wales. It will provide live information on current and forecasted levels of air pollution for their area, as well as access to historical data on air pollution. The new site provides new educational materials, games and tools for schools and improved health advice information.

Tomorrow, we will also publish the consultation on the Welsh Government supplemental plan to the UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations 2017. The plan sets out how the Welsh Government will reduce concentrations of nitrogen dioxide around roads where levels are above legal limits in the shortest possible time.  

Welsh Ministers have accepted that the Welsh section of the 2017 plan did not satisfy the requirements of the ambient air quality directive and associated Welsh regulations during a judicial review earlier this year. This consultation and accompanying plan are published to meet our legal obligations. However, this is not just about legal compliance. It’s about taking action to improve the air quality for everyone in Wales for the health improvements that this will deliver and because it’s the right thing to do. A final compliant plan will be published by 31 July 2018 in accordance with a court undertaking. 

EU directive limits for nitrogen dioxide are currently exceeded in Cardiff and Caerphilly—Hafodyrynys—and at five other locations on the motorway and trunk road network in Wales. Studies are under way to identify measures that are likely to achieve compliance in the shortest possible time. Motorway and trunk road network exceedances are the direct responsibility of the Welsh Government. In advance of completing detailed modelling in the summer, we are introducing modest measures such as temporary 50 mph speed limits and road markings to smooth traffic flows. These will be implemented by the end of June over the stretch of road where nitrogen dioxide levels exceed directive limits at each of the following locations: A494 at Deeside; A483 near Wrexham; M4 between junctions 41 and 42; M4 between junctions 25 and 26 during the night, using the existing variable speed limit infrastructure; and A470 between Upper Boat and Pontypridd. We have established that this action has the possibility of achieving the largest immediate improvement to air quality.

I would like to assure Members that, as a Government, we take this matter very seriously. I am committed to ensuring the delivery of actions identified in the plan to meet our statutory obligations in the soonest time possible. More importantly, this plan is about doing the right thing for our environment and for the health and well-being of our community and country. Finally, I can confirm today the allocation of over £20 million for an air quality fund through to 2021 to help accelerate compliance with nitrogen dioxide limits and improve air quality in Wales. This will be used to provide ongoing support, guidance and finance enabling councils to develop and implement plans and take action to achieve compliance in the soonest possible time. The action I've outlined today is the start of our journey to ensure clean air for Wales, supporting a healthy nation. But this is just the beginning. Our collective ambition must be to become a clean air leader in Wales.