Content

Air pollution is made up of a mixture of gases and particles that have been released into the atmosphere by man-made processes. Such emissions are typically from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, petrol or diesel. The sources, health effects and chemical behaviour of each separate pollutant are different, making the task of understanding and controlling air pollution as a whole very complex.

In this section you can find out what the current air pollution levels are in the district, and what the council is doing to improve air quality locally.

We want to ensure that the air we breathe is of such a quality that it does not adversely impact on health and quality of life.  Some air pollutants are generated locally, whereas others, such as Ozone are generated elsewhere and transported over long distances; and therefore must be controlled nationally by central government policy and agreements between countries.

Most of our work on air quality is driven by the requirements of the Environment Act 1995 Part IV to assess and manage local air quality. This requires us to review the sources of pollution in our areas, and to assess likely future concentrations of a number of pollutants. The process is divided into several stages depending on the levels of pollutants being emitted.  You can see details about the air quality review, assessment procedures and monitoring that we have been doing by referring to:

Review, Monitoring and Assessment Reports

There are seven different atmospheric pollutants that we assesses, only one nitrogen dioxide currently exceeds government limits.  For more information about nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants, please see:

Common Pollutants and health effects

People using this site for research purposes or who want more detailed information can try the following links:

Educational resources

For many other general questions try:

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any other questions please contact us