The Government is acting to unblock 100,000 homes and to address the underlying sources of nutrient pollution. The Government has made £280 million funding available to Natural England to enable the current approach to mitigation schemes and associated credit markets to evolve

Under the new arrangements, Natural England, DEFRA, and DLUHC will work with local authorities and third parties to deliver strategic interventions which can reduce excess nutrients and support the recovery of protected sites. This will build on current mitigation schemes and engage with the future pipeline of potential schemes, across the public, private and conservation sectors.

Our ambition is to move as quickly as possible to ensure real world environmental benefits are secured alongside new housing delivery. This means establishing a strategic approach for catchments that offsets the limited nutrients outflow from new housing at the same time as starting to restore Habitats Sites which are in a poor condition due to excess nutrients.

The expertise of local authorities and Natural England will be hugely valuable in targeting interventions to the right places, thereby maximising benefits for water quality, people, and nature.

This department has launched the Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund which will boost the supply of mitigation available locally, by funding high quality bids submitted by local authorities. Funding decisions will be announced in due course.

The information requested on planning refusals is not held centrally.

This department has launched the Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund which will boost the supply of mitigation available locally, by funding high quality bids submitted by local authorities. Funding decisions will be announced in due course.

The information requested on planning refusals is not held centrally.

The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities.

Our planning policy is clear that by encouraging good design, planning policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light.

The National Planning Policy Framework is already clear that policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenity, dark landscapes and nature conservation. As set out in the December NPPF consultation, this Government will consult on a wider review of the Framework later this year.

The Government continues to work with a number of local authorities to deliver compliance with legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in the shortest time possible. Local authorities are responsible for identifying the appropriate solution to achieve this, and in some areas this will require the introduction of Clean Air Zones (CAZs). CAZs are designed to encourage drivers switch to cleaner vehicles or more sustainable modes of transport. Where a CAZ is needed, Government will work with local authorities to implement the zone and will provide funding to help local businesses/drivers adapt including support to upgrade vehicles.

In addition, most cars undergo an annual MOT test, which includes a tail pipe emissions test and specific checks of all visible and identifiable emissions control equipment. Vehicles that fail to meet the required limits for the fuel type and age of the vehicle, or where emissions control equipment fitted by the manufacturer is missing, obviously modified, or defective, will fail the test.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) also takes emissions control very seriously. Its Market Surveillance Unit investigates retailers and test stations to ensure that vehicles and products in the UK market meet the required standards.

In addition, the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations make various offences for using vehicles in ways that do not meet in-use standards. The potential penalties for failing to comply with these regulations are significant, with fines of up to £1,000 for a car.

The Government continues to work with a number of local authorities to deliver compliance with legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in the shortest time possible. Local authorities are responsible for identifying the appropriate solution to achieve this, and in some areas this will require the introduction of Clean Air Zones (CAZs). CAZs are designed to encourage drivers switch to cleaner vehicles or more sustainable modes of transport. Where a CAZ is needed, Government will work with local authorities to implement the zone and will provide funding to help local businesses/drivers adapt including support to upgrade vehicles.

In addition, most cars undergo an annual MOT test, which includes a tail pipe emissions test and specific checks of all visible and identifiable emissions control equipment. Vehicles that fail to meet the required limits for the fuel type and age of the vehicle, or where emissions control equipment fitted by the manufacturer is missing, obviously modified, or defective, will fail the test.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) also takes emissions control very seriously. Its Market Surveillance Unit investigates retailers and test stations to ensure that vehicles and products in the UK market meet the required standards.

In addition, the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations make various offences for using vehicles in ways that do not meet in-use standards. The potential penalties for failing to comply with these regulations are significant, with fines of up to £1,000 for a car.

The Transport Decarbonisation Plan will include plans to tackle emissions in every form of transport, including maritime and aviation, and how these plans come together to deliver transport’s contributions to carbon budgets and net zero.

The Department for Transport ensures good practice in the regulation of particulate matter emitted from vehicles by reviewing the best available evidence and commissioning research to inform future standards for new vehicles. This includes world-leading research commissioned by the Department to better understand emissions from brake and tyre wear, which is now estimated to account for the majority of particulate matter originating from road vehicles.

Checks for the proper functioning of diesel particulate filters already form part of the MOT test and are explicitly mentioned as an item to be checked in the MOT inspection manual. Where emission control equipment fitted by the manufacturer is missing, obviously modified or obviously defective, the vehicle should receive a “Major” failure and not pass the MOT test. Guidance on the implications of modifying a vehicle’s emissions system has been issued by the Department.

The Department has carried out research to assess whether new measurement equipment could be used to improve the assessment of emissions within the MOT test and roadside checks. This included equipment for detection of removed or damaged diesel particulate filters. Results of this research will be considered for any future changes to the MOT emissions test.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducts roadside enforcement inspections nationally using specialist equipment to detect manipulations to vehicle systems and components. A driver using a vehicle on a public road where the diesel particulate filter has been removed may be issued with a prohibition or fixed penalty. Furthermore, the Market Surveillance Unit, within the DVSA, may prosecute a company or individual that carries out an emissions tampering service such as removal of a diesel particulate filter for vehicles used on the road.

The Department for Transport ensures good practice in the regulation of particulate matter emitted from vehicles by reviewing the best available evidence and commissioning research to inform future standards for new vehicles. This includes world-leading research commissioned by the Department to better understand emissions from brake and tyre wear, which is now estimated to account for the majority of particulate matter originating from road vehicles.

Checks for the proper functioning of diesel particulate filters already form part of the MOT test and are explicitly mentioned as an item to be checked in the MOT inspection manual. Where emission control equipment fitted by the manufacturer is missing, obviously modified or obviously defective, the vehicle should receive a “Major” failure and not pass the MOT test. Guidance on the implications of modifying a vehicle’s emissions system has been issued by the Department.

The Department has carried out research to assess whether new measurement equipment could be used to improve the assessment of emissions within the MOT test and roadside checks. This included equipment for detection of removed or damaged diesel particulate filters. Results of this research will be considered for any future changes to the MOT emissions test.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducts roadside enforcement inspections nationally using specialist equipment to detect manipulations to vehicle systems and components. A driver using a vehicle on a public road where the diesel particulate filter has been removed may be issued with a prohibition or fixed penalty. Furthermore, the Market Surveillance Unit, within the DVSA, may prosecute a company or individual that carries out an emissions tampering service such as removal of a diesel particulate filter for vehicles used on the road.

In 2015 the Department for Transport worked with other Government departments, the Freight Transport Association (now Logistics UK), and the Noise Abatement Society to produce guidance on good practice for quiet deliveries. The published guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quiet-deliveries-demonstration-scheme.

Regulations governing the maximum sound level of goods vehicles are harmonised at an international level and require new vehicles to demonstrate compliance before being placed on the market. Reductions in the maximum sound limit will apply to new vehicles being registered from July 2022 with a further reduction planned for July 2026.

Highways England commissioned Transport Focus to produce this report to improve its understanding of road user needs for park and ride facilities, and to identify steps which would help improve journeys.

Highways England is currently considering how to apply the report’s recommendations across its network, and how benefits, such as improved air quality will be realised.

Highways England will start the review of park and ride locations in 2021/22.

We work closely with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and right across Government to drive forward our ambitious plans to improve air quality. The Clean Air Strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to reduce air pollution from a wide range of sources including road transport. Alongside this, Government has put in place a £3.8 billion plan to specifically tackle roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations.

Highways England has undertaken a programme of work to improve air quality on the Strategic Road Network (SRN), in the first Road Investment Strategy (RIS1) and RIS2, and has published its own air quality strategy at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634933/N160081_Air_Quality_Strategy_Final_V18.pdf.

This programme has included monitoring the effectiveness of tall barriers and running an open competition to gather ideas from a wide range of organisations.

To support the mitigation of air quality issues, Highways England has invested £12.5 million of its Air Quality Designated Funding with authorities in Leeds, Coventry, Kent, Nottingham, Sheffield and Bristol to implement an electric van scheme to support the uptake of zero emissions vans. Schemes in Leeds, Coventry, Kent and Nottingham are now operating and will be followed by Sheffield and Bristol.

Ministers and officials have periodic meetings with fleet operators about a range of issues. The Government recognises the scope for fleets to be at the vanguard of the transition to zero emission driving, including the newly announced 2030 phase out of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, and we will continue to work with fleet operators towards this. The Government’s £20m Low Emission Freight Trials funded a series of R&D projects aimed at encouraging the widespread introduction of low and zero emission vehicles to UK fleets. Retailers including Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Tesco and John Lewis were all part of this innovation programme.

Data from the government’s national air quality model is used to assess the contribution of emissions from commercial vehicles to total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter at the roadside. We have not conducted a specific assessment of emissions from supermarket deliveries.

Building on the commitments set out in the WHO-commended Clean Air Strategy (CAS), the Government has introduced air quality measures in the landmark Environment Bill. The CAS sits alongside extensive action that has been taken to reduce harmful emissions from road transport.

Ministers and officials have periodic meetings with fleet operators about a range of issues. The Government recognises the scope for fleets to be at the vanguard of the transition to zero emission driving, including the newly announced 2030 phase out of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, and we will continue to work with fleet operators towards this. The Government’s £20m Low Emission Freight Trials funded a series of R&D projects aimed at encouraging the widespread introduction of low and zero emission vehicles to UK fleets. Retailers including Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Tesco and John Lewis were all part of this innovation programme.

Data from the government’s national air quality model is used to assess the contribution of emissions from commercial vehicles to total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter at the roadside. We have not conducted a specific assessment of emissions from supermarket deliveries.

Building on the commitments set out in the WHO-commended Clean Air Strategy (CAS), the Government has introduced air quality measures in the landmark Environment Bill. The CAS sits alongside extensive action that has been taken to reduce harmful emissions from road transport.

Ministers and officials have periodic meetings with fleet operators about a range of issues. The Government recognises the scope for fleets to be at the vanguard of the transition to zero emission driving, including the newly announced 2030 phase out of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, and we will continue to work with fleet operators towards this. The Government’s £20m Low Emission Freight Trials funded a series of R&D projects aimed at encouraging the widespread introduction of low and zero emission vehicles to UK fleets. Retailers including Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Tesco and John Lewis were all part of this innovation programme.

Data from the government’s national air quality model is used to assess the contribution of emissions from commercial vehicles to total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter at the roadside. We have not conducted a specific assessment of emissions from supermarket deliveries.

Building on the commitments set out in the WHO-commended Clean Air Strategy (CAS), the Government has introduced air quality measures in the landmark Environment Bill. The CAS sits alongside extensive action that has been taken to reduce harmful emissions from road transport.

Specific analysis relating to the impact of the MOT test on air quality has not recently been conducted by the Department. Emission limits for vehicles undergoing MOT testing have previously been set at a European level, most recently by Directive 2014/45/EU. These regulations were transposed into UK law by the Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2017.