Air quality management areas

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Go back to Air quality management areas summary

These are the questions we answer during the Screen stage.

Answering them wil help us learn more about the Air quality management areas consideration, determine if a data standard is required and whether we know enough to move on to the next stage.

  • What is the 'Air quality management areas' consideration?

    An Air Quality Management Area is a region in which air pollutants fall below a specific threshold, in line with national air quality objectives.

    "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."

  • Is there legislation that defines 'Air quality management areas'?

    Yes

    • What is the legislation that defines 'Air quality management areas'?

    • What is the specific part of the legislation that describes how a 'Air quality management areas' gets designated?

      26.—(1) Where the levels of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide, lead and PM10 in ambient air exceed any of the limit values in Schedule 2 or the level of PM2.5 exceeds the target value in Schedule 3, the Secretary of State must draw up and implement an air quality plan so as to achieve that limit value or target value.

      (2) The air quality plan must include measures intended to ensure compliance with any relevant limit value within the shortest possible time.

    • What is the specific part of the legislation that requires the publication of 'Air quality management areas'?

  • Who, in law, is responsible for the planning consideration or makes decisions about 'Air quality management areas'?

    • Secretary of State, Defra

  • Which organisations do we think should publish the data?

    • UK Air (Defra)

  • Is the Air quality management areas a trigger?

    Yes

    • What needs to be done because Air quality management areas has acted as the trigger?

      An Air Quality Assessment

  • Is the Air quality management areas something to consult during plan making?

    Yes

    • Provide information about when Air quality management areas is used during plan making

      Generally, air quality is considered when assessing sites to be taken forward through the selection and allocation process. It is likely that the presence of an air quality management area will lead to further scrutiny in the site selection process, and as well as the preparation of an air quality assessment, developers will likely be required to demonstrate mitigation.

  • Is there any Air quality management areas data already available?

    Yes

    • What Air quality management areas data is currently available?

      • Item 1

        url
        https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/aqma/maps/
        name
        AQMA Boundaries
        fields
        Local Authority;AQMA Name;Pollutants Declared;Date Declared;Date Amended;Date Revoked;Source
        licence
        OGL
        coverage
        England
        publisher
        Defra
        attribution
        © Crown copyright and database rights 2024 licenced under Defra's Public Sector Mapping Agreement with Ordnance Survey (licence No. 100022861).
        metadata_url

  • Do we think the data should come from a single source?

    Yes - Defra, UK Air

  • Will a data standard be required?

    No