Pollution control - air quality
also known as: air quality, LAQM.
Pollution control - Air Quality Management
Air Quality
This informs us how healthy the air is we
breathe. As a local authority, we have a statutory duty to assess
and review the air quality in Northumberland. Part of this
responsibility is to submit an annual report to DEFRA on the air
quality in Northumberland.
The Council is required to assess seven
particular atmospheric pollutants, if they are relevant, and we
monitor air quality across Northumberland by a number of
methods.
You may be interested in air quality
because:
- You are interested in or concerned about the air quality where
you live.
- You are a developer who has to consider air quality as part of
a planning application.
In both cases, the annual air quality reports
and a selection of data are attached below which will hopefully
answer any of your questions. If these do not, then please contact
an officer to see how we may help your enquiry.
Generally, air quality in Northumberland is
good although we continue to monitor roads with heavy traffic and
some industrial sources. Although a number of industrial sources
are regulated by environmental permitting [LINK], either by
ourselves or the Environment Agency.
One of the conclusions of the 2011 Progress
Report was that the Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in the
centre of Blyth, originally declared in 2004, was no longer
supported by the air quality results and was subsequently
revoked.
