Local Air Quality Management (LAQM)

• Beacon Scheme - Round 8: delivering cleaner air
• Addendum to LAQM Policy guidance LAQM.PGA(05)
• Evaluation of review and assessment support services
• Evaluation of the action planning process
• Air quality Progress Report guidance LAQM.PRG(03)
• Revised Local Air Quality Management Guidance
• Evaluation of the LAQM Process - responses by Defra and the Devolved Administrations to recommendations in the evaluation report

Air Quality Grant – application letter and forms 2006/07

Local authorities have statutory duties for local air quality management (LAQM) under the Environment Act 1995. Since 1997/98, the Government has supported local authorities capital expenditure on LAQM through Supplementary Credit Approvals and more recently awards of Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue) (SCE(R)).

For financial year 2006/07, this support has changed to a direct grant programme. The programme will focus on providing grant aid to support local authorities expenditure on capital costs of monitoring equipment, emission inventories and dispersion modelling. Applications will also be considered for capital and/or running costs on projects which are part of local authorities action plans or other projects which will improve local air quality.

• Letter inviting applications and annexes A - D (104 KB)
• Application forms (Annexes E - H)
  • Annex E: Air quality monitoring equipment - application form (22 KB)
  • Annex E: Air quality monitoring equipment - application form (29 KB)
  • Annex F: Emission inventories - application form (22 KB)
  • Annex F: Emission inventories - application form (28 KB)
  • Annex G: Air pollution dispersion modelling - application form (23 KB)
  • Annex G: Air pollution dispersion modelling - application form (30 KB)
  • Annex H: Projects under air quality action plan or other projects to improve local air quality - application form (22 KB)
  • Annex H: Projects under air quality action plan or other projects to improve local air quality - application form (71 KB)

Air Quality Management Areas in the UK

To check your local authority's progress on local air quality management and see if your local authority has had to declare an air quality management area, please see the NETCEN website at www.airquality.co.uk/archive/laqm/laqm.php.

• The Role of the Highways Agency in Local Air Quality Management (updated January 2005)
• Environment Agency Responsibilities in Relation to Air Quality Management Areas

LAQM Guidance

Local authorities have statutory duties for local air quality management (LAQM) under the Environment Act 1995. They are required to carry out regular reviews and assessments of air quality in their area against standards and objectives in the national Air Quality Strategy and which have been prescribed in regulations for the purpose of LAQM. Where it is found these are unlikely to be met, authorities must designate air quality management areas (AQMAs) and prepare and implement remedial action plans to tackle the problem.

• Policy guidance LAQM.PG(03) and Technical guidance LAQM.TG(03). February 2004
• Addendum to the LAQM Policy guidance LAQM.PGA(05). March 2005

Background to guidance

(The earlier guidance documents have been superseded by these new guidance documents and have been removed).

Defra published draft revised LAQM policy guidance LAQM.PG(02) (also in respect of National Assembly for Wales) and revised technical guidance LAQM.TG(02)(also in respect of the Devolved Administrations) on 18 October 2002 for consultation.

• Draft revised LAQM policy guidance LAQM.PG(02) (consultation closed 9 December 2002)
• Summary of the main comments received on the draft policy and technical guidance, including Defra's responses to the comments.
• Summary table (10 KB) - Local authorities should note the main changes to the Technical Guidance LAQM.TG(03) since the October 2002 consultation draft.

Other material, advice lines and contacts

• Analysis of the Relationship Between 1 Hour and Annual Mean Nitrogen Dioxide at UK Roadside and Kerbside Monitoring Sites - Report prepared by Prof. Duncan Laxen and Dr Ben Marner
• Compilation of Diffusion Tube Collocation Studies Carried out by Local Authorities - Report Prepared by Prof. Duncan Laxen and Penny Wilson
• Guidance to Local Authorities on further "Stage 4" Assessments of Air Quality
• Roadside Monitoring of Air Quality - Report
• Advice line to Local Authorities on Monitoring: aqm.helpline@aeat.co.uk
  Frequently Asked Questions
• Advice line to Local Authorities on Modelling: modelhelp@stanger.co.uk
  Frequently Asked Questions (NB opens in new browser window)
• Advice line to Local Authorities on Pollutant Specific Guidance: aqm-review@uwe.ac.uk
• Advice line to Local Authorities on Emission Inventories (advice on transport, industrial, area sources and general methodological issues: aqm.helpline@aeat.co.uk
• Electronic helpdesk on Review and Assessment (including FAQs on the LAQM process and links to other sites): www.uwe.ac.uk/aqm/review
• Emission Factors Database: This database gives representative emissions to be expected from the main categories of industrial and transport activity, together with a comprehensive set of individual emission factors and detailed technical information for local authorities considering undertaking a local atmospheric emission inventory.

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