Local Air Quality Management: Air Quality Management Area

Lewes District Council: Review and Assessment Summary

Air Quality Management Area Declared (2005)

Lewes District Council declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) on the 30th June 2005. The AQMA was declared due to the modelled exceedence of the annual average air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide (NO2 of 40 μg/m3 in 2005). The area of the AQMA will focus on the Station Rd, Fisher St, West St area of Lewes. For further information on Lewes District Councils 2005 AQMA, please select the following links:(Lewes D.C. Air Quality Reports and 2005 AQMA map).

Air Quality Review & Assessment

The Environment Act 1995 Part IV requires local authorities to conduct a review of local air quality. The Act requires the Council to review the sources of pollution in its own and neighbouring areas, and to assess likely future concentrations of a number of pollutants. The process is divided into stages depending upon the levels of pollutants being emitted.

The first round of reviewing and assessing air quality started in 1998 and we have just completed our second round. In 2003 the Council commenced the second round of review and assessment of air quality. The first stage is now known as an Updating and Screening Assessment. The aim of the assessment was to determine whether there have been any significant changes in air quality since the first round of review and assessment, and also to compare the current position with likely future air quality targets.

Following on from that document, we undertook a Detailed Assessment in 2004, focussing on two pollutants, nitrogen dioxide and fine particulates (PM10) at locations beside busy roads and in the centre of Lewes, where streets are narrow and traffic can be congested.

The Detailed Assessment found that for the majority of the district, the air quality objectives would not be exceeded. However, long term monitoring in Fisher Street, Lewes indicate that the air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide is likely to be exceeded by the end of 2005. This meant that an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was needed and was declared on the 30th June 2005 . Here is Lewes District Councils 2005 AQMA map .

We will work with East Sussex County Council, the Highways Agency and residents and businesses in the Lewes area to develop an Air Quality Management Plan over the next 12 to 18 months. The aim of the Action Plan will be to reduce levels of air pollution in the centre of Lewes without compromising air quality elsewhere.

For the latest reports please goto : Lewes District Council Air Quality Reports.

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