RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

 

METHODS

 

RESULTS

 


 Consultation as Science Communication?  The Case of Local Air Quality Management

 

CASE STUDIES RESULTS

In this research, the purpose of undertaking case studies is to investigate the nature, scope and effectiveness of local air quality management consultation approaches undertaken by English local authorities.  It is anticipated that a manageable number of ten case studies local authorities, across the spectrum of information, consultation and participatory science communication initiatives, will be identified.  These authorities will then be investigated using the case study method. 

 

In order to achieve the case study purpose, four selection criteria have been set:

­       Region: local authority location (East, London, Yorkshire, East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West, South East, South West);

­       Administrative type: whether it is a district, metropolitan, unitary or a London local authority;

­       AQMA status: with our without AQMA; and

­       Local authority communication strategy: 1 way (information), 2 way (consultation), and active involvement (participation)

 

Two criteria have also been set as selection constraints as not to encourage bias.  They are as follow:

­       Local authorities known to member of research team; and

­       Local authorities engage with the Air Quality Management Resource Centre, UWE in air quality consultation work.

11 case studies exemplars were identified and executed, which involved a series of face-to-face semi-structured interviews with environmental health professionals carrying out LAQM consultation. These authorities are:

  • A large Yorkshire metropolitan authority

  • A central London borough

  • A medium-sized South West city

  • A North Eastern city

  • A medium-sized Northern metropolitan authority

  • A medium-sized North West metropolitan authority

  • An outer London borough

  • A small northern city

  • A large Midlands city

  • A medium-sized South Eastern borough

  • An inner London borough

 

Click here to download case study questions.

 

Our findings revealed that local authorities are faced with a series of substantive challenges in contacting, engaging with, and incorporating the views of their diverse statutory and non-statutory constituencies within the LAQM decision-making process. There is no 'off the shelf' resolution to the deliberative dilemma and although local authorities genuinely attempt to engage with all stakeholders, current consultation processes are not working as well as they could. This may imply a re-think on the form and function of LAQM consultation processes.