Lichfield district revokes final 'Air Quality Management Area' after sustained pollution decline
The last air quality management area (AQMA) in Lichfield district has been revoked. This follows sustained falls in the level of Nitrogen dioxide over the past five years at Muckley Corner.
A council report submitted to the regulatory and licensing committee earlier this year, when the first AQMA was lifted, links the improvement in air quality with the increased reliance on electric vehicles and a greater number of people working from home. High levels of air pollutants can cause chronic cardiovascular and respiratory disease and cancers leading to reduced life expectancy.
The report said: “AQMAs are one of the tools that the legislation requires local authorities to use where the objective levels are exceeded in order to focus efforts on reducing pollutant levels within those areas. In addition, air quality strategies have to be adopted along with enhanced monitoring in order to track progress towards achieving the objectives.
“Following the revocation of AQMA No.2, due to lower NO2 levels on the A38, we have now reached the point where AQMA No.1 at Muckley corner has dropped below the objective for a sufficiently long time to be revoked. This is because here too, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in the area have dropped below the annual mean objective of 40µg/m3.”
Now Councillor Richard Cox, cabinet member for community and public protection has approved the revocation of the AQMA following the recommendation of the council committee.
