Air quality

Under the Environment Act 1995 and Air Qualtiy Regulations, local authorities have to review the quality of air in their Districts and assess whether the nationally prescribed objectives for the pollutants of concern are being achieved. These pollutants are: benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particles (PM10) and sulphur dioxide.

As ozone is the product of chemical reactions in the atmosphere, forming some distance away from where the original pollutants are emitted, local authorities are not required to assess it.

DEFRA publishes technical guidance to assist local authorities with their assessments and requires them to produce regular reports which are then scrutinized by their air quality experts.

Tandridge carried out Updating and Screening Assessments (USA) of air quality in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012. The assessments were intended to identify those aspects that have changed since the first round of reviews and assessments and may require further assessment. If either USA had indicated that pollutants and specific locations required further work then a Detailed Assessment would have been required. The assessments can be viewed by clicking on the following links USA 2003, USA 2006, USA 2009 and USA 2012.

Progress Reports (PR) are required to be made in the years when the authority is not carrying out a USA or a detailed assessment of air quality. The progress reports, may be found through the following links, PR 2004, PR 2005, PR 2007, PR 2008, PR 2010 and PR 2011.

The reports show that the air quality objectives for the pollutants of concern in Tandridge appear to be within the Government and EU limits and there is no need to declare any Air Quality Management Areas.