Air Quality Management Areas removed in Charnwood

As of Friday, 6 September 2024, the Air Quality Management Areas in Charnwood have been revoked.

Arrangements of how we manage air quality in four areas of the borough are being changed. These 4 areas are called Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs). An AQMA in simple terms is an area which is monitored closely as the air quality in it does not meet National Air Quality Objectives (NAQOs).

Since 2001, the Council has been undertaking targeted monitoring of these areas for various pollutants, such as:

• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and
• Particulate Matter/dust (PM10)

The four areas are in:

• Loughborough (around the Market place for traffic pollution, NO2)
• Loughborough (around Great Central Railway for smoke pollution, SO2)
• Mountsorrel (around Mountsorrel Quarry for dust, PM10)
• Syston (around Melton Road for traffic pollution, NO2)

More details on the locations are on the Council's webpage.

We have been reporting pollution levels in these areas for many years to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

The monitoring results have shown that pollution in these areas has fallen over the last five years and now Defra have told the Council to remove the AQMAs. The Council does not have a choice in this decision. Therefore, the AQMAs will be removed.

While the Council has no choice on this decision, we are seeking views of residents and local organisations so they can highlight any concerns.

It does not mean the monitoring will cease. The Council still has a legal responsibility to monitor and submit an annual air quality status report to Defra.

The Council will also be producing an Air Quality Strategy for the whole borough to help continue to improve air quality in the area.

What is the improvement of air quality judged on?

Since the AQMAs were declared in all of the areas, air quality has improved and monitoring results show that pollutant levels have dropped below the national objectives. A summary of recent monitoring results is shown below.

Loughborough AQMA – Loughborough Market Place

Yearly concentration results plotted against the national air quality objective for NO2 of 40 µg/m3 annual mean (DT15 - Market Place)

The annual average objective in the Loughborough AQMA has not been exceeded in the last five years.

Loughborough AQMA- Great Central Railway

15-min mean concentration plotted against the national air quality objective for SO2 of 266 µg/m3.

The Great Central Railway AQMA’s objective of not exceeding 266 µg/m3 more than 35 times a year over a mean time period of 15-minutes has been reached for the past 5 years. At the start of the monitoring period in 2004 this was being exceeded.

Mountsorrel AQMA – Mountsorrel Quarry

24-hour mean average concentrations plotted against the national air quality objective for PM10 of 50 µg/m3

The Mountsorrel AQMA’s objective of not exceeding a mean of 50 µg/m3 more than 35 times a year over a time period of 24 hours has been reached for the past 5 years. When the AQMA was first implemented in 2011, this was being exceeded 60 days a year.

Syston AQMA – Melton Road

Yearly concentration results plotted against the national air quality objective for NO2 of 40 µg/m3 (DT33-35)
Similar to Loughborough over the last 5 years, nitrogen dioxide levels have dropped below the national annual objective of 40 µg/m3.

How and why has the air quality been improved?

The Council has been working to an air quality action plan over the last 10 years.

This included a number of improvements which include changes to traffic flows, pedestrianisation of Loughborough Town Centre, implementation of a Dust Monitoring and Management Plan around Mountsorrel Quarry and a Good Neighbour agreement around the Great Central Railway

Consultation

The Council ran a consultation about the AQMAs being revoked which closed on Monday, 5 August, 2024.

Will we stop monitoring the areas?

No. The Council will continue to monitor the air quality in these areas even though the AQMA will be removed. That means if issues arise, steps can be taken.

The Council’s obligation to monitor air pollution in Charnwood

Air pollution is recognised as the single largest environmental risk to public health in the UK. It is associated with a number of adverse health impacts including cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, respiratory illnesses such as COPD, cancer and dementia. Air pollution particularly affects the most vulnerable in society: children, the elderly, and those with existing heart and lung conditions.

The Council has a statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995 to regularly review and assess local air quality against national targets to check whether or not these targets are likely to be met.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  closely supervises this work.

The air quality in Charnwood is very good and compliant with the National Air Quality Objective standards.

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. To find out about the impacts of air pollution, visit the Government website.