Local Air Quality Management Areas

• Air quality to public health standards remains generally good in the South West
• There are currently 41 Local Air Quality Management Areas at May 2011, up from 33 in 2010.   

Government air quality statistics show that air quality in the South West is generally good with low levels of sulphur, nitrogen dioxides and particulates in comparison to the rest of England. However, pockets of poor air quality exist in the region, especially within large urban industrial areas such as Bristol.

Since 1997 local authorities in the UK have been carrying out a review and assessment of air quality in their area. The aim of the review is to make sure that the national air quality objectives will be achieved. 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 and put together a plan to improve the air quality - a Local Air Quality Action Plan.

41 Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) have been designated in 22 local authorities in the region:

• Most within the region are established due to high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as a result of traffic
• 3 AQMAs are established to monitor both nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (Bristol, Mid Devon, and Wiltshire)

The locations of these and the reason for their establishment can be found in the spreadsheet below and are available on the Air Quality Archive's website.

For more information on air quality and other topics at a local level, please see the Local Profiles

• Local Air Quality Management Areas

• National Air Quality Objectives

• Air Quality Archive