Air is polluted if it contains substances that:
- have a harmful effect on the environment
- have a harmful effect on health
- cause a nuisance
We depend on clean air for our wellbeing. Air pollution causes a range of health effects from minor symptoms such as headaches, sore throats and coughs to more serious problems such as difficulty in breathing and aggravation of respiratory conditions.
Everyday activities have the potential to pollute the air such as fumes from road traffic, fuel-burning heating devices and industrial emissions.
Local air quality management
The environment act 1995 – legislation.gov.uk places a duty on local authorities to manage air quality in their area and work towards meeting national objectives set out in the national air quality strategy – GOV.UK.
If investigations indicate pollution levels are above the levels set in the objectives, an air quality management area (AQMA) must be declared covering the affected area.
Action plans must then be drawn up, setting out how further objectives are to be achieved.
The air quality in Newark and Sherwood
We review and assess local air quality every year. We submit reports of our findings to the government.
Each year the report updates the information since the last submission by considering:
- new monitoring data for the area
- new sources of emissions to air
- changes to existing sources that may be significant to local air quality
2025 air quality report
During the last reporting period, our assessment indicated that within the district all relevant air quality objectives were likely to be met at all locations. This conclusion was accepted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Air quality and planning
The document 'air quality and emissions mitigation – guidance for developers' has been prepared in conjunction with the East Midlands Air Quality Network.
It has been developed to supplement the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – GOV.UK.
The aim is to improve air quality across the East Midlands and to improve the environment and health of the population.