Lewes District Council

Air Quality

Air quality within the district is monitored through a series of action plans and joint working to ensure it is not a risk to health.

Pollution has an impact on us all. Every household puts pressure on our natural resources and the environment through using energy, water and generating waste.

While the Government is committed to improving the quality of our environment, we can all make a difference by bringing small changes into our daily routine.

Air quality is the quality of the air we breathe. This is influenced by air pollutants emitted from a range of sources. It is our aim to ensure air we breathe is does not adversely affect the health

We do this by assessing whether concentrations of seven key pollutants will exceed nationally-agreed air quality objectives. These are at outside locations where the public may be exposed for extended periods of time such homes, schools and recreational grounds.

Some air pollutants, or proportions of them, are generated locally. Others such as ozone are generated elsewhere and transported over long distances. These are controlled nationally by Government and international agreements between countries.

Under the Environment Act 1995, we are required to review and assess air quality on a regular basis.We consider the levels of pollutants in the air for which objectives are prescribed and estimations of likely future levels.

The first review and assessment round completed in July 2000 concluded national air quality objectives were unlikely to be exceeded.

The second round of Review and Assessment completed in September 2004 identified a need for a detailed assessment of air quality in Lewes town centre.

Detailed Assessment (DA) undertaken in April 2005, predicted the annual mean of nitrogen dioxide would be exceeded in Fisher Street, Lewes.

An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) declared for nitrogen dioxide in Lewes town centre in June 2005.

Third round of Review and Assessment was completed in August 2006. Identified that the annual mean air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide in Market Street, Lewes, a road already within the existing AQMA area could be exceeded. The nitrogen dioxide annual mean objective could also be exceeded at Southway in Newhaven.

Detailed Assessment (DA) undertaken in November 2008, predicted that the annual mean of nitrogen dioxide would be exceeded at Southway, Newhaven. However the findings were not accepted By DEFRA. We are currently awaiting the feedback from DEFRA relating to the resubmitted report.

Fourth round of Review and Assessment was completed in June 2009. No additional areas were considered likely to exceed the national air quality objectives but it concluded the Lewes AQMA should be maintained for the annual mean nitrogen dioxide objective.

Joint working with East Sussex County Council and other relevant bodies is necessary to implement viable measures to reduce levels of air pollution in the centre of Lewes through the Action Plan.

The aim is also to encourage active participation by consulting the local community and raising awareness of air pollution issues.