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Air quality - reviews and assessments

Since December 1997 each local authority in the UK has been carrying out a review and assessment of air quality in their area. This involves measuring air pollution and trying to predict how it will change in the next few years.

The aim of the review is to make sure that the national air quality objectives will be achieved throughout the UK by the relevant deadlines. These objectives have been put in place to protect people's health and the environment.

If a local authority finds any places where the objectives are not likely to be achieved, it must declare an Air Quality Management Area there. This area could be just one or two streets, or it could be much bigger.

Then the local authority will put together a plan to improve the air quality - a Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) plan.

The UK Government published its strategic policy framework for air quality management in 1995 establishing national strategies and polices on air quality, which culminated in the production of the Environment Act 1995. Under Part IV of this Act the Secretary of State adopted a National Air Quality Strategy, designed to provide a framework for air quality management and control through specific air quality standards and objectives required to be achieved throughout the UK.

The Act requires all local authorities to carry out a review and assessment process for all the specified pollutants (Air Quality Regulations 2000) within their area. The aim is to identify those areas where the air quality objectives will not be met by the relevant year, dependant upon the objective, and as a result, whether an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) should be established.

The process is carried out in three stages; each stage viewing both the current and potential future air quality in increasing detail with it only being necessary to move onto the next stage if it is considered it is likely that a problem may exist.

To aid Local Authorities in the completion of the reporting process, Technical Guidance TG (16) was produced by DEFRA.

Annual status reports

Copies of annual status reports can be seen below:

Update and screening assessments

Copies of Telford and Wrekin assessments are available below:

Progress reports

Details of Telford and Wrekin progress reports can be found below:

Last updated: 30/01/2024 15:48

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