www.airquality.co.uk/ Tel: 0800 556677 or visit Teletext page 156. When setting ambitious air quality targets, it is essential to take due account of accessibility and the measures needed to achieve them. At this stage, the set of policies and measures that would be required to achieve an annual average of 10 μg/m3 for PM2.5 is not yet fully understood. However, we expect that meeting 10 μg/m3 in cities will require measures such as a complete ban on the burning of solid fuels in cities, as well as a reduction in traffic kilometres of up to 50%. All new pressures imposed on local authorities by the air quality measures provided for in this bill will be financed by Defra according to the new pollution principle. £880 million has been made available to assist local authorities who have been ordered to reduce their nitrogen dioxide emissions, develop and implement local air quality plans and support those affected by these plans. Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 and Part II of the Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 require UK local authorities to review the air quality in their area and identify air quality management areas where improvements are needed. When an air quality management zone is designated, local authorities are also required to work towards achieving the objectives of the strategy, which are prescribed in the relevant regulations. It is then necessary to develop an air quality action plan outlining measures to reduce pollution. These plans contribute to the achievement of air quality limit values at local level. The Environment Act 1995 requires the government to develop a National Air Quality Strategy (AQS) for the UK, setting out air quality standards, targets and measures to improve air quality. The last comprehensive review of the strategy was published in 2007, with a review published in 2011 with some minor changes.
The strategy sets out the UK`s air quality objectives and recognises that action at national, regional and local level may be needed depending on the scale and nature of the air quality problem. Under the Environment Act 2021, the Secretary of State must review the strategy for England at least every five years, with a commitment to an initial review within 12 months of the measures coming into force. The first review will be published in 2023. Part IV of the Environment Act 1995, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, and the Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002, requires all local authorities in the United Kingdom to review and assess air quality in their area. If the standards are exceeded or are unlikely to be met by the required date, this area should be designated an Air Quality Management Area (AQA) and the local authority should develop and implement an action plan to reduce pollutant levels. Local authorities are required to provide the public with copies of their local air quality reviews and assessments, as well as any order to determine an AQMA, and to consult on the action plan on the ground. In many areas, traffic is likely to be the main source of excessive pollution If air quality is a relevant consideration, the local planning authority may need to determine: Your community`s environmental health department should be able to advise you on air quality in your area. The UK`s National Air Quality Information Archive also monitors air quality at national level on a daily basis: it provides advice on how planning can take into account the impact of new developments on air quality. The Ministry of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs conducts an annual National Air Quality Assessment, which uses modelling and monitoring to determine compliance with relevant limit values.
It is important that the potential impact of new developments on air quality is taken into account where the national assessment shows that the relevant limit values have been exceeded or are close to the limit value, or where emission reductions have been identified as necessary. Any action targeting children and other vulnerable groups must be part of a broader programme of action to adopt a systematic approach to improving air quality. This is the approach we have taken under the Clean Air Strategy, which will improve air quality for all. In addition, our Clean Air Grant Program provides funding to local authorities to address locally identified air pollution issues, including those near schools, and local authorities have the discretion to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws. Actions that a local planning authority could take to address air quality are listed in this flowchart. The Clean Air Act is currently under review and Environmental Protection UK wants to ensure that it continues to protect air quality, particularly given the increasing use of solid fuels in urban environments. Please see our response to the government`s consultations on the review of the Clean Air Act, 1993 below: Reducing PM2.5 levels requires whole-of-government action and all walks of life, which is why it is important to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the development of these goals. We work with a wide range of experts, including the Air Quality Expert Panel (AQEG) and the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP), to ensure that air quality objectives are based on the best available scientific evidence and that the analysis is widely supported by the expert community.