Air quality review and assessment
The Pollution team carry out an annual review of local air quality to ensure national standards are being met. These reports are available to download and include the results from the sites in the district where we monitor nitrogen dioxide using diffusion tubes and air quality monitoring stations.
What is involved in the review and assessment of air quality?
The first step of the three yearly cycle of reviewing and assessing air quality is called an Updating and Screening Assessment. This has to be carried out by all local authorities. Where the USA identifies a risk that an air quality objective will be exceeded at a location with relevant public exposure, the local authority has to carry out a Detailed Assessment of air quality at that location. The aim of the Detailed Assessment is to identify whether or not it is likely an exceedence of an air quality objective will occur.
If a local authority finds any places in its area where the national standards are not likely to be achieved, it must declare an Air Quality Management Area there. This area could be just one or two streets, or it could be much bigger. Then the local authority will put together a plan to improve the air quality - a Local Air Quality Action Plan. There are currently no Air Quality Management Areas in East Hampshire.
In all years where a local authority is not carrying out an Updating and Screening Assessment, a Progress Report has to be produced.
More information on national standards can be found on DEFRA's website in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland .
Air quality in East Hampshire today
Air quality is generally good across East Hampshire however recent reviews of air quality at the junction of the A325 with Chalet Hill in Bordon have identified moderate levels of nitrogen dioxide.
To investigate this further in January 2009 additional monitoring tubes were located at first floor height to measure concentrations of nitrogen dioxide at first floor flats located above commercial premises.
The results of the additional monitoring found that the annual air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide is marginally exceeded at the residential properties above Corals at the junction of the A325 with Chalet Hill.
In July 2010 an Air Quality Management Area was declared at this junction. For further information on the Air Quality Management Area in Whitehill Bordon, please contact the Pollution Team on 01730 234322. The Order can viewed at East Hampshire District Council's Offices during normal business hours.
Information on AQMAs is available on the DEFRA website.
Summary of reports
The First Review and Assessment produced in December 2000 found that air quality in East Hampshire achieved the air quality objectives.
The Updating and Screening Assessment produced in August 2003 showed that the air quality objectives would still be achieved, but identified several areas that needed further investigation.
The Progress Report produced in September 2004 addressed issues raised in the previous report and identified that a Detailed Assessment was required for nitrogen dioxide at A3 Bramshott Chase and A325 Chalet Hill/Bordon.
The 2005 Detailed Assessment showed that the air quality objectives would be achieved at A3 Bramshott Chase and A325 Chalet Hill/Bordon.
A further Updating and Screening Assessment was carried out in June 2006 and this identified that a Detailed Assessment was required for nitrogen dioxide at A3 Bramshott/Grayshott, A325 Chalet Hill/Bordon and A3 Portsmouth Road/Horndean.
In August 2008 the Detailed Assessment predicted that the air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide would be achieved at A325 Chalet Hill/Bordon and A3 Portsmouth Road/Horndean. The 2008 Progress Report is included in the Detailed Assessment as an appendix.
An Updating and Screening Assessment was produced in April 2009 and this showed that air quality in East Hampshire still achieves the air quality objectives, but highlights that we will review our position on air quality along the A325/Chalet Hill in Bordon later in 2009.
Additional information was produced on air quality in Bordon in September 2009 to review the results of new monitoring positions which are located close to first floor height. The 2009 Air Quality Update suggests that there is an exceedence of the annual mean objective for nitrogen dioxide at one location. The report recommends that the results for 2009 are reviewed in January 2010 when a full years data is available. East Hampshire District Council will have to declare an air quality management area in Bordon including the residential properties above Corals, High Street, Bordon.
A Progress Report was produced in April 2010 which shows that all air quality objectives are met in East Hampshire with the exception of nitrogen dioxide in Bordon. This report recommends that an Air Quality Management Area is declared at the junction of the A325 with Chalet Hill.
All the above reports are available for viewing at the Council Offices.
For further information on air quality in East Hampshire, please contact the pollution team on 01730 234322 or by emailing ehealth@easthants.gov.uk
Click here to get the FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader software