Air Pollution along the A470

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:04 pm on 9 October 2019.

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Photo of Dawn Bowden Dawn Bowden Labour 2:04, 9 October 2019

Thank you for that answer, Minister. I'm clearly not a scientist or a traffic engineer, so I'm guided by experts and their knowledge in this and what they've told us about harmful levels and the effect of pollution in those communities along the A470. But understandably, since the speed cameras have gone live, there has been more general discussion around the issue, particularly from people travelling down from the Valleys in places like Merthyr Tydfil. The statement from the economy Minister earlier in the week gave a very good explanation for that, and I think that was helpful. Those kinds of communications to people generally about the need for us to be monitoring speed and emissions are really helpful. But just as importantly, can we do more to help manage the source of pollution, or the pollution problem itself, by, for example, not adding further traffic pressures to specific sections of the A470 due to major developments, and stepping up efforts to keep existing services, like the DWP offices, in our Valleys towns, and not siting them in areas that are already suffering unacceptable levels of pollution and bringing more traffic to those areas when we could disperse that by bringing better jobs closer to home in the Valleys?