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Action Planning Resource
What do you need to do when declaring an Air Quality Management Area?
Statutory Guidance
AQMAs must be designated officially by means of an 'order'. The extent of the AQMA may be limited to the area of exceedence or encompass a larger area.
What is an AQMA order and what should it include?
The Environment Act 1995, does not explicitly state what should be contained in an AQMA Order. However, the Policy Guidance (LAQM.PG(S)(16)) recommends that the AQMA Order should include a map and a description of the AQMA. The description can vary depending upon the size of the AQMA declared and will typically make reference to relevant street names or prominent buildings/roads. The Order should also include the date on which the AQMA comes into force and the objectives for which the AQMA has been designated.
Local authorities are expected to notify the Scottish Government by submitting a copy of the Order and ensure that the information is widely accessible.
Examples of Declaration Orders
| Authority and AQMA | Date | Type of AQMA | Main Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City Council – Anderson Drive | 2011 | Ribbon type (restricted to individual road/areas) Aberdeen Andersen Drive AQMA 2011 (PDF) |
Road Traffic |
| Dundee City Council – City AQMA | 2006 | City Scale AQMA Dundee AQMA 2006 (PDF) |
Road Traffic |
| Falkirk Council – Grangemouth AQMA | 2005 | Partial town AQMA incorporating industrial process. Using Ward boundaries for definition. Falkirk Grangemouth AQMA (PDF) |
Industrial |
| The Highland Council – Inverness City Centre AQMA | 2014 | Localised 'junction' AQMA Highland AQMA (PDF) |
Road Traffic |
| Motherwell AQMA | 2005 | Buffer around predicted exceedence area Motherwell AQMA (JPG) |
Road traffic, Rail and Industrial |
| Glasgow City Council | 2012 | Whole Council area Glasgow City Council AQMA (JPG) |
Road traffic |
Establishing the boundary of an AQMA
Setting the boundary of an AQMA involves an element of judgement and the scale of an AQMA can range from a small area including 1 or a few buildings, through to an entire local authority area. LAQM.PG(S)(16) outlines that it is up to the local authorities to determine the boundaries for an AQMA on the basis of all relevant considerations. The AQMA must include the area exceeding the relevant objective(s) and thus should be informed by the result of air quality monitoring and modelling (typically undertaken in the Detailed Assessment of Air Quality).
When determining the boundaries of an AQMA, the authority may wish to consider the following:
- It may be administratively simpler to designate a wider area, based on existing boundaries and natural features.
- Designating a number of smaller AQMAs, rather than one all-encompassing AQMA, can enable an authority to demonstrate progress by removing individual areas as air quality improves;
- Declaring smaller AQMAs may also provide a clear focus on the hot spot locations within a local authority and provide a better indication of where resources need to be allocated to improve the situation.
Following the declaration of an AQMA, the local authority is required to develop an air quality action plan. This plan must outline the actions the authority and other stakeholders will take to work towards compliance with the relevant air quality objectives. It is expected that the authority will develop and adopt this plan within 18 months following the declaration of the AQMA.
