Air Quality in Colchester

An introduction to the monitoring and management of air quality within the Borough of Colchester.

Introduction

The quality of air within Colchester Borough is important to health and quality of life for those living, working and visiting the area. All local authorities (LAs) are obliged to review and assess air quality in their boroughs or districts under the Environment Act 1995. A requirement of the Act was that the UK Government was to prepare an Air Quality Strategy for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Air Quality Strategy was published in January 2000 with a revised version published in 2007. Within the Air Quality Strategy, national air quality objectives are set out, and LAs are required to review and assess air quality against these objectives.

Like most other Districts in the region which do not have large industrial processes, the main source of local air pollution in Colchester is from motor vehicles. These emit, amongst other things, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and fine particulate matter. Particular problems arise locally where traffic is slow moving through old, narrow streets near the historic centre of the town.

From a health point of view, the most important pollutants are the nitrogen oxides (especially nitrogen dioxide - NO₂), and fine particles (especially the fraction which can be deeply inhaled - called PM₁₀).

Monitoring of Air Pollution.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels, on busy roads throughout the borough, are monitored using passive diffusion tubes. In addition, there is an automatic monitoring station measuring  NO₂  in Brook Street. A list and maps of Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) in Colchester and the rest of Essex is available at the Essex Air Consortium website, along with results from monitoring and reports that have been written and submitted to the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).  

Why not get the children involved check out the interactive Air Zone site.

Authorised Processes.

Emissions from larger petrol stations and many smaller industrial premises within the Borough, are regulated by the Council under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the regulations made under the Pollution, Prevention and Control Act 1999.

This is achieved by a system of Permits which allows the operator to carry out their prescribed processes within tightly agreed standards and to a set of national emission limits specific to each type of industry. These processes are regularly inspected and enforcement action taken where deliberate or persistent failure to comply with the authorisation is found.

For further information on authorised processes click on the link below:

Authorised Processes

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