Local Air Quality Management
The Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) framework, underpinned by Part IV of the Environment Act 1995, places an obligation upon all local authorities to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas, and to determine whether national air quality objectives are being achieved.
Local authorities are required to provide an Annual Status Report (ASR) of air quality within their areas. If exceedances of national air quality standards and objectives are identified, or considered likely, the local authority must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and prepare an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) setting out the measures it intends to put in place to improve local air quality and achieve compliance with the national objectives.
Published annual reports for each district authority and current actions plans are located in the Local Air Quality Reporting section.
Declarations and maps of Worcestershire AQMAs can be found here.
Further Information
For further information on air quality policy within the UK and European Community, please see the UKAIR pages, Defra policy webpage
- Air Quality - Home
- Current Air Quality - Interactive air quality maps and public portal to real-time monitoring network
- Air Pollutants – Information on air pollutants, sources and impacts
- Air Pollution and Health – How air pollution affects our health
- Protecting Me and Others from Air Pollution - Practical advice on how to minimise exposure to poor air quality
- Local Air Quality Reporting - The place to find annual status reports of air quality and action plans
- What we are doing to improve air quality – Our work in the community, resources for schools, Clean Air Day 2025 – get involved!
- Air Quality Management Areas – areas of poor air quality in Worcestershire requiring improvement