The Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 introduced a statutory obligation on councils to carry out a review and assessment of their local air quality known as local air quality management (LAQM). 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.

In Northern Ireland the air quality objectives contained in the strategy are incorporated into the Air Quality Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003. This provides the statutory basis for the system of LAQM.

If a local authority finds any places where the objectives are not likely to be achieved, it must declare an Air Quality Management Area there.

Over the past six years Newtownabbey Borough Council has been assessing the levels of these main pollutants identified by the government. Our recent Progress Report concluded that the limits for Nitrogen Dioxide from road traffic are likely to be exceeded at three locations within the Borough and as a result three Air Quality management Areas have been declared.

Newtownabbey’s Air Quality Management Areas

An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) is an area of land where air quality levels are breeching the national limits and require action to deal with or ‘manage’ this and are put in place to protect people's health and the environment.

The Council has declared 3 AQMAs due to the emissions of nitrogen dioxide from road traffic (see below), and these came into effect on 28 January 2008.

Air Quality Management Area 2 - Main Street, Ballyclare:

View Map (.pdf 102Kb)

View Streets (.pdf 27Kb)

View AQMA Order (.pdf 780Kb)

Air Quality Management Area 3 - Antrim Road, Elmfield:

View Map (.pdf 256Kb)

View Streets (.doc 29Kb)

View AQMA Order (.doc 78Kb)

Air Quality Management Area 4 - Sandyknowes:

View Map (.pdf 240Kb)

View Streets (.doc 28Kb)

View AQMA Order (.doc 77Kb)

Air Quality Management Area 1 - Ballyclare (revoked):

View Map (.pdf 1.72Mb)

View Streets (.doc 40Kb)

View Revocation Order (.doc 286Kb)

Action Plans:

Air Quality Action Plan for Newtownabbey December 2010 (.pdf 1.1MB)

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The declaration of Air Quality Management Areas indicates that the Council recognises that air quality is poor within the areas, and that positive steps now need to be taken to reduce these levels through development of an Action Plan.

Review and Assessment Reports:

 

The 1st Stage Review and Assessment Report (.pdf 966Kb)

The 2nd & 3rd Stage Review and Assessment Report (.pdf 22.4MB)

The 2nd & 3rd Stage Review and Assessment Appendices (.pdf 726Kb)

Local Air Quality Progress Report April 2005 (.pdf 951Kb)

Local Air Quality Progress Report Appendices 2005 (.pdf 816Kb)

Stage 4 Domestic Fuel Combustion completed by Netcen October 2005 (.doc 3.62MB)

Local Air Quality Progress Report August 2007 (.pdf 2.8MB)

Local Air Quality Progress Appendices August 2007 (.pdf 66Kb)

Local Air Quality Updating & Screen Assessment May 2007 (.pdf 792Kb)

Local Air Quality Updating & Screen Assessment May 2007 Appendices (.pdf 46Kb)

Local Air Quality Progress Report October 2008 (.doc 5MB)

Local Air Quality Progress Report October 2008 Appendices (.doc 6MB)

Detailed Assessment AEA Final 2008 (.pdf 5.8MB)

USA April 2009 (.pdf 2.9MB)

Progress Report 2010 (.pdf 4.0MB)

Progress Report 2011 (.pdf 2.9MB)

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