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Chapter Nine: Physical Environment
Physical Environment
The Scottish Executive's long-term strategy for measuring deprivation recommended that future deprivation indices include a domain focusing on the physical environment. This domain could be based on measures such as, for example, air, water or noise quality as well as proximity to positive or negative features. Work to explore the inclusion of a physical environment domain in the 2006 index is underway.
This chapter on the physical environment provides examples of the types of data that might be used in a physical environment domain in the SIMD, using data which are currently available through Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics.
The physical environment encompasses many different themes and there are a huge range of potential indicators on very different scales e.g. air and river water quality, litter, graffiti, noise levels, proximity to recreational areas, drinking water quality and proximity to sewerage works. Not all of these indicators are readily available at the small area level and, therefore suitable for inclusion in the SIMD. The Scottish Executive is exploring different types of physical environment indicators with a view to including them in Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics.
A comprehensive report on environmental justice, containing information on a wider range of indicators than shown here, was published recently by the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research ( SNIFFER). The report has shown links between deprivation and several sources of potential negative environmental impact.
Greenspace Scotland has also shown in a recent survey report that there is room for improvement in either the quality or perceived quality of local green spaces according to people living in the 15% most deprived areas. The survey respondents in these areas recognised the value and benefits of green space, however, they had some issues with access to and satisfaction with their local green spaces.
Key points
- People living in the 15% most deprived areas are more likely to live within 1km of a European Pollutant Emissions Register ( EPER) site. Nineteen per cent of the population in the 15% most deprived areas, compared with nine per cent in the rest of Scotland.
- People living in the 15% most deprived areas are more likely to live within 1km of a derelict site. Fifty-five per cent of the population in the 15% most deprived areas, compared with 22 per cent in the rest of Scotland.
- There are strong urban-rural effects on air quality indicators. Pollutants associated with transport are more concentrated in the extreme SIMD deciles (highest and lowest concentrations of deprivation), where there are fewer rural areas, and less concentrated in the middle deciles where there are more rural areas.
Proximity to landfill, EPER and derelict land sites
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency provides data on the location of licensed landfill sites and of Scottish sites on the European Pollutant Emissions Register ( EPER). EPER sites are industrial facilities emitting certain chemicals (from a list of 50) into air and water, at concentrations above a specific threshold level. This information was linked to 2001 Census populations to determine the percentage of the population within a certain distance from these sites at the data zone level. It is important to note that the location data is in the form of a single grid reference for the centre of the site. However some sites may occupy larger areas and therefore if buffer zones were created around the larger area, more people may appear within each of the buffer zones.
The 2001 Census population of the 15% most deprived areas was 778,714. Of this, 0.4 per cent live within 500m of a landfill site, which is the same proportion as the rest of Scotland. However, 4.6 per cent live within 500m of an EPER site, relatively more than the rest of Scotland, of which 2.2 per cent live within 500m of an EPER site (Table 9.1).
Table 9.1: Proximity to landfill and EPER sites, 2001
Numbers, percentages | Total | Population within 0-500m of a site | Population within 500-1000m of a site | Population within 1000-2000m of a site | Population more than 2000m from a site |
|---|
Population | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage |
|---|
Landfill | 15% most deprived | 778,714 | 3,483 | 0.4 | 16,609 | 2.1 | 81,332 | 10.4 | 677,290 | 87.0 |
|---|
Rest of Scotland | 4,283,297 | 17,935 | 0.4 | 86,520 | 2.0 | 469,843 | 11.0 | 3,708,999 | 86.6 |
|---|
Scotland | 5,062,011 | 21,418 | 0.4 | 103,129 | 2.0 | 551,175 | 10.9 | 4,386,289 | 86.7 |
|---|
EPER | 15% most deprived | 778,714 | 35,857 | 4.6 | 112,187 | 14.4 | 220,586 | 28.3 | 410,084 | 52.7 |
|---|
Rest of Scotland | 4,283,297 | 95,680 | 2.2 | 302,816 | 7.1 | 827,012 | 19.3 | 3,057,789 | 71.4 |
|---|
Scotland | 5,062,011 | 131,537 | 2.6 | 415,003 | 8.2 | 1,047,598 | 20.7 | 3,467,873 | 68.5 |
|---|
Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency and General Register Office for Scotland
Note: Population data are from 2001 census.
Nineteen per cent of the population in the 15% most deprived areas live within 1km of an EPER site compared to nine per cent of the population in the rest of Scotland. At the 2km boundary these figures rise to 47 per cent in the 15% most deprived areas compared to 29 per cent in the rest of Scotland.
The percentage of the population living in close proximity to an EPER site decreases consistently across the SIMD deciles. In the most deprived 10%, 19 per cent of the population live within 1km of an EPER site compared to six per cent in the least deprived 10% (Chart 9.2).
Chart 9.2: Population living within 1km of landfill and EPER sites, 2001
Percentage
Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency and General Register Office for Scotland
Another key indicator of the quality of the physical environment is derelict land. The 2004 Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey provides information on derelict sites which are over 0.1 hectares in size. Derelict land is defined as land (and buildings) which have been so damaged by development or use that it is incapable of being developed for beneficial use without rehabilitation, and which is not being used for either the purpose for which it is held, or for a use acceptable in a local plan. The main exceptions are operational sites where rehabilitation would not be possible or appropriate within five years, and land which is derelict through natural causes (for example neglected woodland or farmland) and which appears to have blended into the landscape. All sites where contamination is known or suspected are classed as derelict.
Based on 2001 Census populations, 55 per cent of people living in the 15% most deprived areas live within 500m of a derelict site compared to 22 per cent in the rest of Scotland and 27 per cent across Scotland as a whole (Table 9.3, Chart 9.4).
Table 9.3: Population within 500m of a derelict site, 2004
Numbers, percentages
| Total Population | Population within 500m of a derelict site | Percentage of population within 500m of a derelict site |
|---|
15% most deprived | 778,714 | 425,240 | 54.6 |
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Rest of Scotland | 4,283,297 | 939,331 | 21.9 |
|---|
Scotland | 5,062,011 | 1,364,571 | 27.0 |
|---|
Source: 2004 Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey, General Register Office for Scotland
Note: Population data are from 2001 census. Sites are only included if they are over 0.1 hectares in size and meet the definition of derelict used by the survey.
Chart 9.4: Population living within 500m of a derelict site, 2004
Percentage
Source: 2004 Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey and General Register Office for Scotland
Air quality
Clean air is an important factor affecting people's quality of life, and air pollution in the UK is still a serious problem. Many air pollutants have harmful effects on human health, particularly for children. For this reason, the SE works in partnership with the other devolved administrations and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to ensure that objectives set out in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are achieved. The strategy was originally published in 1997, revised in 2001 and in 2002 more stringent targets were set for certain pollutants (benzene, carbon monoxide and particles).
At a local level, ozone and particulates in particular are known, from many studies, to lead to increases in human health problems in communities that are most exposed to them. The pollutants targeted by the Air Quality Strategy include nitrogen dioxide ( NO2), carbon monoxide ( CO), sulphur dioxide ( SO2), ozone (O 3), benzene, 1,3-butadiene, lead and particles ( PM10). Concentrations of many of these pollutants are now available at data zone level through the Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics website. The most recent Scottish Air Quality Strategy targets for these pollutants are shown in Table 9.5.
Table 9.5: Air Quality Strategy - Scottish Objectives
Nitrogen Dioxide ( NO2) | 40 µg/m 3 (annual mean) to be met by end of 2005 |
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Ozone (O 3) | 100 µg/m 3 (maximum daily 8 hour mean) should not be exceeded more than 10 times a year from 2005 |
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Particulates ( PM10) | 40 µg/m 3 (annual mean) to be met by end of 2004, Scotland target of 18 µg/m 3 (annual mean) to be met by end of 2010 |
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Sulphur Dioxide ( SO2) | 15 minute mean concentration of 266 µg/m 3 not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year by 2005 |
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Carbon Monoxide ( CO) | Maximum 8 hour mean concentrations of 10 mg/m 3 not to be exceeded by end of 2003 |
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Benzene | 3.25 µg/m 3 by 2003 (running annual mean) should not be exceeded by end of 2010 |
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The following section shows average concentrations of these pollutants in the most and least deprived areas in Scotland (population weighted air quality data, as published by the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research have not been used here). Pollutant concentrations are calculated annually by the National Environmental Technology Centre (Netcen) on behalf of Defra and the devolved administrations and are calibrated against measurements recorded at automatic air monitoring stations across the UK. Because pollutant concentrations are modelled, rather than measured, the data should be interpreted with care.
Concentrations of pollutants vary with decreasing deprivation (Table 9.6 and Chart 9.7). Carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, benzene, particulate and, to a lesser extent, sulphur dioxide concentrations decline between the first (most deprived 10%) and fifth or sixth decile, and then increase again up to the tenth decile (least deprived 10%). The primary sources of these pollutants are concentrated in urban areas, e.g. road traffic and industry. The majority of the areas in the first and tenth deciles (most and least deprived 10%) are urban (as shown in Chapter 8). Most of the rural areas are found in the deciles five to eight, and it is here that there is a noticeable 'dip' in the concentration of pollutants associated with industry and traffic (Chart 9.7).
Conversely, ozone concentrations and ozone days (number of days of peak ozone concentration) are higher in the middle deciles. In rural areas ozone levels tend to be higher, particularly in the summer months, when more ozone is created on sunny days. Urban areas, on the other hand, tend to have higher levels of oxides of nitrogen than rural areas and, in certain circumstances these nitrogen oxides can react with ozone, so reducing the ozone concentration.
In some cases, there is a correlation between those living in deprived areas and air pollution from all of the pollutants mentioned, apart from ozone, because they are a more likely to live in urban areas.
Table 9.6: Air pollutants, 2002
Numbers
| Annual average concentrations | Average ozone days |
|---|
NO2 µg/m 3 | Ozone µg/m 3 | PM10 (µg/m 3) | SO2 (µg/m 3) | CO (mg/m 3) | Benzene (µg/m 3) |
|---|
15% most deprived | 20.0 | 54.3 | 16.1 | 88.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 4.6 |
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Rest of Scotland | 13.7 | 59.6 | 15.0 | 90.5 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 7.9 |
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Scotland | 14.7 | 58.8 | 15.2 | 90.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 7.4 |
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Source: National Environmental Technology Centre
Note: Average ozone days refers to days of maximum ozone concentration.
Chart 9.7: Air pollutants, 2002Average concentrations, average days
Source: National Environmental Technology Centre
References
Scottish Executive Environment Statistics http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/envonline/menu0.asp
Scottish Environment Protection Agency www.sepa.org.uk
Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2004 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00381-00.asp
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) www.defra.gov.uk
Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/strategy/index.htm
The European Pollutant Emission Register http://www.eper.cec.eu.int/eper/default.asp
UK National Air Quality Archive www.airquality.co.uk
National Environmental Technology Centre (Netcen) http://www.netcen.co.uk/html/air_qual.htm
Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research ( SNIFFER) report: Investigating environmental justice in Scotland: links between measures of environmental quality and social deprivation, March 2005 www.sniffer.org.uk
Greenspace Scotland - Omnibus Survey, Key Findings Report - January 2005 http://www.greenspacescotland.org.uk/upload/pdfs/GreenspaceSurveyReport.pdf
Contacts
Chapter author:
Tracey Stead
Office of the Chief Statistician
0131 244 0442
neighbourhood.statistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Contributors:
Scottish Executive Environment Statistics
0131 244 0445
DDEnvironment.Statistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
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