Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA)
Since December 1997, every council in the UK has been carrying out a review and assessment of air quality in their area.
This involves measuring air pollution and trying to predict how it will change in the next few years.
The aim of the review is to make sure that the national air quality objectives will be achieved throughout the UK by the relevant deadlines. These have been put in place to protect people's health and the environment.
If a council finds any areas where they 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 council will put together a plan to improve the air quality - a Local Air Quality Action Plan.
We have 2 AQMA's and the Air Quality Action Plans which can be found on the Essex Air website.
As part of our legal duties each year we review the air quality in the city to see if the government's air quality targets have been achieved. The result of the assessment is presented in the form of an Annual Status Report. The status report is submitted in the year after and provides data and information for the full calendar year before.
Also on the Essex Air website is our
- most recent Annual Status Reports
- most recently published Low Emissions Strategy from 2018 (this is due to be reviewed)
If you have an air quality enquiry, please use our online form.