Environmental Protection UK
Encyclopedia
Environmental Protection UK is a UK environmental Non-Governmental Organization
(NGO) working in the fields of air quality, noise and land quality. It was formerly known as the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA), changing its name as part of a strategic review in 2007.
, who became frustrated by low light levels in the winter caused by coal smoke. In an 1898 letter to the Times calling for action Sir William said that, "the darkness was comparable to a total eclipse of the sun".
Over the following decades the organisation was instrumental in the introduction of the 1926 Public Health (Smoke Abatement Act) and the Clean Air Act 1956
. The latter started life as a private members bill promoted by Sir Gerald Nabarro
in the aftermath of the Great London Smog of 1952. This event saw the deaths of between 4,000 and 12,000 people as a direct result of air pollution. The original Act was updated by the 1968 and 1993 Clean Air Acts. One major consequence of these Acts is that considerable areas of the UK have been declared as Smoke Control Areas where the use of certain fuels is either prohibited or only allowed in special appliances.
As the menace of coal smoke receded the society changed its name (to the National Society for Clean Air) and its focus, and in the 1970s began to campaign vigorously on air pollution from industry and, increasingly, transport.
During this period membership was mainly (although far from exclusively) drawn from local authorities, with some industrial membership. Perhaps the main achievement of the Society after the Clean Air Acts was the development of the concept of Local Air Quality Management and the incorporation of this in the Environment Act 1995
. The original Environment Bill was intended to deal with issues such as the establishment of the Environment Agency, contaminated land, National Parks and waste topics.
Through the good offices of two of the Society’s Vice-Presidents (Lord Lewis of Newnham and Lord Nathan) an amendment to the Bill was introduced in the House of Lords
(where the Bill began its life) to add what is now Part IV of the Act, Air Quality. The arguments in favour of the amendment persuaded the Government
of the day to accept it as part of its own legislative programme by incorporating it in the substantive Bill. The Society assisted in the drafting of the legislation through its Air Quality Committee, a body set up in 1992 to draw together the air quality experts who were either individual members of the Society or, more usually, employees of corporate members such as local authorities.
in 1995 the Society, through the Air Quality Committee, has been instrumental in producing supplementary guidance documents to assist local authorities in implementing Local Air Quality Management. Although the Government
had produced technical and policy guidance this still left some grey areas because such national guidance inevitably could not deal with every eventuality. Initially the NSCA guidance addressed the processes of assessing air quality problems and the thorny questions surrounding the declaration of Air Quality Management Areas. A second round of guidance looked at the development of Air Quality Action Plans. More recent guidance has addressed the thornier problems of incorporating air quality into the local development control planning regime.
Although Environmental Protection UK was founded to tackle air pollution, it has made and continues to make a significant contribution to the fields of noise and contaminated land
, possibly reflecting some of the concerns of the local authority members. That said; air quality is still at the heart of the organisation’s work programme.
Air quality continues to be a major problem in the UK, despite opinions given from time to time that it is ‘fixed’. Currently the Government’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) estimates that approximately 24,000 deaths per year are advanced due to the effects of “normal” UK concentrations of air pollution. In hot years such as 2003 this figure may have been even larger.
In 2006 the then NSCA recognised that its work was spread too widely and that its structure and governance were in need of modernisation. The organisation therefore began a root and branch review of its operations which resulted in a refresh of its governance and a new five year strategy named 'Future Focus'. The new strategy saw the organisation focus down to three key areas where it could make a significant contribution - air quality and climate change, noise and land quality. Finally it was felt that the organisation's name was unrepresentative of its range of work, and the decision was therefore made to change it to Environmental Protection UK.
Modern Environmental Protection UK continues to have significant membership amongst local authorities but also has a substantial contribution from consultants, academics, private individuals and industry. The organisation has seven divisions in England
and a division each in Scotland
, Wales
and Northern Ireland
. Head office is based in Brighton
employing a small permanent staff; the society also has an office in Glasgow
.
Deborah Kerr
who starred in 'The King and I' was patron of the organisation from 1992 until her death on October 16, 2007.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) working in the fields of air quality, noise and land quality. It was formerly known as the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA), changing its name as part of a strategic review in 2007.
History
The organisation traces its roots back to the foundation of the Coal Smoke Abatement Society (CSAS) set up in 1898, making it one of the oldest, if not the oldest, environmental NGOs. CSAS was founded by London based artist Sir William Blake RichmondWilliam Blake Richmond
Sir William Blake Richmond KCB , English painter and decorator, was born in London. His father, George Richmond, R.A...
, who became frustrated by low light levels in the winter caused by coal smoke. In an 1898 letter to the Times calling for action Sir William said that, "the darkness was comparable to a total eclipse of the sun".
Over the following decades the organisation was instrumental in the introduction of the 1926 Public Health (Smoke Abatement Act) and the Clean Air Act 1956
Clean Air Act 1956
The Clean Air Act 1956 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in response to London's Great Smog of 1952. It was in effect until 1964, and sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and the Department of Health for Scotland.The Act introduced a number of...
. The latter started life as a private members bill promoted by Sir Gerald Nabarro
Gerald Nabarro
Sir Gerald David Nunes Nabarro was a Conservative Party politician of the 1950s and 1960s. Nabarro had a flamboyant public profile and a reputation for taking maverick political stances.-Early life:...
in the aftermath of the Great London Smog of 1952. This event saw the deaths of between 4,000 and 12,000 people as a direct result of air pollution. The original Act was updated by the 1968 and 1993 Clean Air Acts. One major consequence of these Acts is that considerable areas of the UK have been declared as Smoke Control Areas where the use of certain fuels is either prohibited or only allowed in special appliances.
As the menace of coal smoke receded the society changed its name (to the National Society for Clean Air) and its focus, and in the 1970s began to campaign vigorously on air pollution from industry and, increasingly, transport.
During this period membership was mainly (although far from exclusively) drawn from local authorities, with some industrial membership. Perhaps the main achievement of the Society after the Clean Air Acts was the development of the concept of Local Air Quality Management and the incorporation of this in the Environment Act 1995
Environment Act 1995
The Environment Act 1995 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which created a number of new agencies and set new standards for environmental management...
. The original Environment Bill was intended to deal with issues such as the establishment of the Environment Agency, contaminated land, National Parks and waste topics.
Through the good offices of two of the Society’s Vice-Presidents (Lord Lewis of Newnham and Lord Nathan) an amendment to the Bill was introduced in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
(where the Bill began its life) to add what is now Part IV of the Act, Air Quality. The arguments in favour of the amendment persuaded the Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of the day to accept it as part of its own legislative programme by incorporating it in the substantive Bill. The Society assisted in the drafting of the legislation through its Air Quality Committee, a body set up in 1992 to draw together the air quality experts who were either individual members of the Society or, more usually, employees of corporate members such as local authorities.
Work
Since the Act received its Royal AssentRoyal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
in 1995 the Society, through the Air Quality Committee, has been instrumental in producing supplementary guidance documents to assist local authorities in implementing Local Air Quality Management. Although the Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
had produced technical and policy guidance this still left some grey areas because such national guidance inevitably could not deal with every eventuality. Initially the NSCA guidance addressed the processes of assessing air quality problems and the thorny questions surrounding the declaration of Air Quality Management Areas. A second round of guidance looked at the development of Air Quality Action Plans. More recent guidance has addressed the thornier problems of incorporating air quality into the local development control planning regime.
Although Environmental Protection UK was founded to tackle air pollution, it has made and continues to make a significant contribution to the fields of noise and contaminated land
Contaminated land
Land that is contaminated contains substances in or under the land that are actually or potentially hazardous to health or the environment. Areas with a long history of industrial production will have many sites which may be affected by their former uses such as mining, industry, chemical and oil...
, possibly reflecting some of the concerns of the local authority members. That said; air quality is still at the heart of the organisation’s work programme.
Air quality continues to be a major problem in the UK, despite opinions given from time to time that it is ‘fixed’. Currently the Government’s Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) estimates that approximately 24,000 deaths per year are advanced due to the effects of “normal” UK concentrations of air pollution. In hot years such as 2003 this figure may have been even larger.
In 2006 the then NSCA recognised that its work was spread too widely and that its structure and governance were in need of modernisation. The organisation therefore began a root and branch review of its operations which resulted in a refresh of its governance and a new five year strategy named 'Future Focus'. The new strategy saw the organisation focus down to three key areas where it could make a significant contribution - air quality and climate change, noise and land quality. Finally it was felt that the organisation's name was unrepresentative of its range of work, and the decision was therefore made to change it to Environmental Protection UK.
Modern Environmental Protection UK continues to have significant membership amongst local authorities but also has a substantial contribution from consultants, academics, private individuals and industry. The organisation has seven divisions in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and a division each in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Head office is based in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
employing a small permanent staff; the society also has an office in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr, CBE was a Scottish film and television actress from Glasgow. She won the Sarah Siddons Award for her Chicago performance as Laura Reynolds in Tea and Sympathy, a role which she originated on Broadway, a Golden Globe Award for the motion picture The King and I, and was a three-time...
who starred in 'The King and I' was patron of the organisation from 1992 until her death on October 16, 2007.