Air Pollution

Air Quality Action Planning

On the whole air quality in Charnwood is very good. However we do have some concerns that air quality now, and over the next few years, will not meet European standards in some parts of the borough. These standards are intended to ensure that those in our community who are most susceptible to the effects of poor air quality, such as children, the elderly and those with lung disease, do not suffer any form of ill health.

Having reached this conclusion we drafted and consulted with local stakeholders on an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP). The Action Plan is intended to highlight all of the options and measures that are reasonably available to improve air quality in the areas we are concerned about. The Plan also sets out which of the options and measures we feel are a priority based on the extent of their likely effect on air quality and their costs.

A first consultation on the draft Plan finished in March 2005. Many of the ideas in the Plan are based on dealing with emissions from road traffic and the first draft was finished in time to influence Leicestershire County Councils Local Transport Plan (LTP2) which came out as a first draft in June 2005 and was completed in March 2006. Much of the traffic related content of our AQAP was included for evaluation in the LTP, which has meant that it is now at the heart of the policy which will influence transport in the area for the next 5 years.

Following the completion of the LTP, the Air Quality Action Plan was revised and subject to a further consultation. The final Plan was adopted in November 2006

Final Air Quality Action Plan (PDF, 618 Kb)

Air Quality Review and Assessments

A requirement of the Environment Act is that Charnwood regularly undertake an air quality review and assessment in order to determine whether air quality objectives are likely to be met. These assessments must be undertaken on a rolling three year programme. Copies of every report from 2001 are available here.

2001 Round 1 Stage 3 Air Quality Review & Assessment (MS Word, 2.4 Mb)
2003 Round 2 Updating & Screening Assessment (MS Word, 1 Mb)
2004 Round 1 Stage 4 Review & Assessment (PDF, 606 Kb)
2004 Round 2 Detailed Review & Assessment (PDF, 808 Kb)
2005 Progress Report (PDF, 606 Kb)
2006 Round 3 Updating & Screening Assessment (PDF, 989 Kb)
2007 Progress Report (PDF, 804 Kb)

Air Quality Management Areas

We have declared three Air Quality Management Areas in Charnwood.

Following assessments of local air quality we decided that the areas highlighted on the following maps of Loughborough and Syston were at risk of experiencing air pollution levels from nitrogen dioxide or sulphur dioxide above those set out in the UK Air Quality Regulations.