Air quality

Local Air Quality Management

Recognising the importance of air quality, the Environmental Protection and Housing Team routinely assesses outdoor air quality in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Overtime, these assessments have targeted the most relevant air pollutants to the public: -

• Nitrogen Dioxide [NO₂] is a gas, usually undetectable to humans in the very low levels often experienced in our environment.  It is mostly associated with combustion, for instance industrial furnaces, domestic solid fuel or gas-fired heating and petrol and diesel powered road traffic.  Its levels can sometimes be higher in dense urban areas as well as locations near busy or very congested roads.

• Particulate Matter [PM] is a mixture of many different solid-like substances that can be suspended in the air we breathe.  Very small sized Particulate Matter, often labelled as PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, are invisible to humans but can be breathed in and even absorbed by our bodies.  Lots of different natural and human actions can cause Particulate Matter, including combustion, the wearing of road surfaces, agricultural activities, salting and the wind generally collecting and transporting Particulate Matter.

Due to the importance of certain air pollutants, Regulations have set Air Quality Objectives that the Council should be mindful of and where appropriate work towards achieving. As such the monitoring of air quality in Rhondda Cynon Taf has been undertaken since the 1990’s and each year the Council publishes a report on local air quality.  These reports provide information on the statutory process, up to date local monitoring data and the analysis of local air quality.  Most recently the Council has published the 2025 Progress Report. 

What Can You Do About Local Air Quality

There are many actions that can be taken to help improve local air quality.  Some of these actions may require the Council and its partners to implement change where other actions may be undertaken by schools, local communities, households and individuals.

You can find general information about air quality, including actions that can be taken to improve local air quality and the date of the next ‘Clean Air Day’, on the Clean Air Hub website.

The Council also welcomes engagement and suggestions from the community about possible local actions that could be taken to improve local air quality.

Air Quality Monitoring 

So as to better understand local air quality, the Council maintains a network of local air quality monitoring sites.  Monitoring results from these local air quality monitoring sites along with similar sites across Wales can be viewed on the Air Quality in Wales website.

2025 Progress Report

It has been shown that the vast majority of Rhondda Cynon Taf experiences compliant air quality, which is likely to remain so into the future.  With the expectation that air quality may continue to marginally improve into the near future and, with the gradual adoption of new transport technologies, there is the potential for further sustained improvement to at least some air pollutants in the longer-term.

From examination of local circumstances, including monitoring results, over an extended period of time, it is understood that only some small areas associated with busy urban local roads or the regional trunk road network are likely to be vulnerable to non-compliant air quality within Rhondda Cynon Taf.  It is believed these vulnerable areas, linked to historically high levels of NO₂, have already been included within several Air Quality Management Areas [AQMAs] and, in contrast to most locations, the air quality in these vulnerable areas may not improve as rapidly as elsewhere over the nearer-term.

The Local Authority was able to undertake the monitoring of both PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ within Glyncoch, Pontypridd.  Analysis of the results underlies the likely significant influence that various operations at Craig Yr Hesg Quarry may have on locally observed PM₁₀, albeit PM_2.5 may observe a greater degree of independence from local influences.  Although it remains difficult to predict a future trend at Glyncoch it appears that, at present the location remains compliant to the annual mean and the 24-hour daily mean AQOs for PM₁₀. Nonetheless, a sustained climatic event or an adverse change to local sources of particulate matter could threaten this understanding. Therefore, continued monitoring may be necessary to ensure any future changes, which have the potential to impact on the local prevalence of PM₁₀, can be fully considered

The Council has commenced a public consultation into the analysis and recommendations of the 2025 Progress Report. If you wish to make comment on this you must submit any comments in writing or by email to the address below: -

Air Quality

Pollution and Public Health

Public Health and Protection

Ty Elai

Dinas Isaf East

Williamstown

Tonypandy

CF40 1NY

Email: EnvironmentalPollution@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk

The public consultation will close on the 1^st December 2025, any comments received after this date may not be considered by the Council when considering the 2025 Progress Report and its recommendations.  All comments may become a matter of public record and unless otherwise requested the name and designation of the person making the comments may be published along with the comments.

Air Quality Managements Areas 

Air Quality Management Areas are declared by the Council via Order under Section 83(1) of the Environment Act 1995.  In response to breaches of the Air Quality Objectives for Nitrogen Dioxide, there are currently six Air Quality Management Areas within Rhondda Cynon Taf:

• Cymmer Air Quality Management Area 
• Ferndale Air Quality Management Area 
• Mountain Ash Town Centre Air Quality Management Area 
• Nightingales Bush Air Quality Management Area 
• Pontypridd Town Centre Air Quality Management Area 
• Tylorstown Air Quality Management Area 

The Council has produced individual Air Quality Action Plans, for each Air Quality Management Area, which set out actions which may improve air quality within them and further the Councils goal to achieve compliance with the relevant Air Quality Objective throughout Rhondda Cynon Taf. 

In implementing the Air Quality Action Plans it is also possible that greater benefits will also be realised, for instance furthering the Councils duties in relation to active travel.  The actions detailed within the Air Quality Action Plans include a broad range of aspirations and mechanisms to affect local air quality.  Some of the actions are specific to an Air Quality Management Area, where others may provide borough wide improvement. The actions are broadly outlined below: 

• Exploring potential locally targeted changes to existing traffic management to reduce or displace traffic congestion at high risk locations.
• Exploring potential locally targeted increased traffic waiting and parking restrictions or the availability of alternative provisions and their enforcement at specific areas to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion.
• Possible local rearrangement of a bus stop to reduce the impact of bus waiting on local traffic congestion.
• Advocating the reduction in permitted speed along part of the A470.
• Supporting the effective implementation of the South East Wales Metro and electrification of the South Wales Central Valley Line.
• Encouraging borough wide behavioural change by the use of existing resources and policy mechanisms to influence greater uptake of public transport, car sharing and efficient journey planning. 

Air Quality Actions

The Local Authority continues, where possible, to implement or influence the implementation of actions within its AQAPs as well as other actions that may more generally improve local air quality.  However, due to limited resources, it has not been possible to immediately implement all air quality improvement actions.  However, improvement actions undertaken recently include progression of the South Wales Metro and introduction of ‘tap and go’ ticketing, completion of the A4119 Coed Ely Dualling Scheme, installation of additional dedicated electrical vehicle charging points at public car parks, subsidised (£1.50 max fare) bus travel within Rhondda Cynon Taf during certain parts of the year as well as defined free post-16 to 19 education travel, progressing a multimillion pound phased works programme to upgrade and improve a number of active travel routes and installing partial barriers using green infrastructure (hedging and trees) at Mountain Ash Comprehensive School.

Looking to the future, the Local Authority is continuing to progress a range of actions and initiatives.  These include the design and potential implementation of several proposed highway improvements to improve ‘pinch-points’ and projects to increase usability and awareness of active travel routes and local sustainable transport options. In recognising the potential effects of climate change and the ‘win win’ which may be realised by an holistic approach to environmental issues, the Local Authority continues to advance key local climate change strategies and programmes. This has included, progressing its Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy and an ambitious renewable energy generation programme.

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