Full review and assessment of air quality in Plymouth 2000

The Environment Act 1995 was introduced to establish the statutory provisions for local air quality management in the UK. It implemented the UK National Air Quality Strategy, which sets air quality standards and objectives to be achieved, for a number of key pollutants, including benzene; 1,3-butadiene; carbon monoxide; lead; nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particles of less than ten microns.

Each local authority is required to carry out a review and assessment of air quality. The Government have prescribed that this follows a phased approach, from a stage one review and assessment through a stage two and on to a stage three if it is required. If there is any risk that these targets will be exceeded, then it will be necessary to declare air quality management areas, and produce an action plan that will detail what measures will be adopted to improve air quality.

For the purpose of determining the focus of the review and assessment, local authorities should have regard to those locations where members of the public are likely to be regularly present and are likely to be exposed over the averaging period of the objective. Authorities should not consider exceedances of the objective at any location where relevant public exposure would not be realistic.

The full Review and Assessment has now been completed and the table below indicates the stage reached for each pollutant. Consideration was given to any major industrial process, transportation routes and any other significant sources in Plymouth.

Summary of review and assessment for each pollutant