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 Document, 0.6 Mb)

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 the following reports from 2000 onwards can be viewed here:

2000 Round 1 Stage 3 Review & Assessment (PDF Document, 0.4 Mb)
2003 Round 2 Updating & Screening Assessment (PDF Document, 0.3 Mb)
2004 Round 1 Stage 4 Review & Assesment (PDF Document, 0.6 Mb)
2004 Round 2 Detailed Review & Assessment (PDF Document, 0.8 Mb)
2005 Round 2 Progress Report (PDF Document, 0.6 Mb)
2006 Round 3 Updating & Screening Assessment (PDF Document, 1 Mb)
2007 Round 3 Progress Report (PDF Document, 0.8 Mb)
2008 Round 3 Progress Report (PDF Document, 0.7 Mb)
2009 Detailed Assessment of Nitrogen Dioxide - Humberstone Lane Junction, Thurmaston (PDF Document, 0.7 Mb)
2009 Round 4 Updating & Screening Assessment (PDF Document, 0.6 Mb)
2010 Round 4 Progress Report (PDF Document, 0.6 Mb)
2011 Detailed Assessment of Respirable Particulate Matter, Mountsorrel (PDF Document, 8.4 Mb)
2011 Round 4 Progress Report (PDF Document, 0.9 Mb)

Interim Results:

Monitoring Results Dec 2011 (Word Document, 1.8 Mb)

Mountsorrel Quarry PM10 Monitoring Results:

Mountsorrel Dust Results (Excel Spreadsheet, 0.1 Mb)

The Council PM10 monitor went 'live' on 26th October 2011. There is a delay of approx. 6 weeks for the samples to be collected, analysed, and the results to be published here.

Our current recorded results indicate 3 exceedences of the 24-hr mean National Air Quality Objective in 56 days. This is equivalent to 20 exceedences per annum, compared to the permitted maximum of 35

Results obtained during our study in 2009/10 showed 15 exceedences in a corresponding period of time.

Air Quality Management Areas

We have declared four Air Quality Management Areas in Charnwood.

Following assessments of local air quality we decided that the areas highlighted on the following maps of Loughborough, Syston and Mountsorrel were at risk of experiencing air pollution levels from nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter (PM10) above those set out in the UK Air Quality Regulations.