Overview
Local air quality management, review, assessment and monitoring
We're taking our statutory responsibility for assessing air quality very seriously and are committed to improving air quality in the borough for the benefit of both residents and visitors. The process of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) is set down in the Environment Act 1995 and the UK Air Quality Strategy.
Air quality work within Gravesham has already led to the declaration of seven Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs), adoption of two Air Quality Action Plans and an Air Quality Strategy. The seven areas of the borough have been declared as the air quality in those areas does not meet the National Air Quality Strategy Objectives for Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and/or Particulate matter (PM10). This is primarily due to exhaust emissions from traffic or in the Northfleet Industrial Area AQMA to fugitive dust, in particular windblown dust from the local aggregate sites and construction. We were therefore obliged to declare Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) in those areas.
A2 Trunk Road AQMA
Air monitoring has shown that Air Quality has improved so markedly in the A2 Trunk Road Air Quality Management Area due to the realignment of the carriageway and general improvement of the vehicle fleet, that the number of homes being affected by the air pollution has decreased significantly. In 2012 we were able to reduce the size of the Air Quality Management Area for Nitrogen dioxide and to revoke the declaration for Particulate Matter (PM10) as this pollutant is no longer exceeding the national objective.
The smaller area came into force on 1 February 2012. The number of homes and businesses in the new area is reduced from 1233 to 87.