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This website provides details about a 3 years research project which began in December 2002. This research is one of the on-going research projects at the Air Quality Management Resource Centre, at the University of the West of England.
Background The Environment Act 1995 (Part IV) provides the legal underpinning for the Local Air Quality Management LAQM framework in the UK. Section 80 Obliges the Secretary of State to publish a National Air Quality Strategy. This was published in March 1997. The Strategy outlined the methods and targets to be pursued by Government based on health effects standards for eight pollutants. The Air Quality Regulations 1997 subsequently gave legal weight for standards and objectives for seven pollutants: Benzene, 1,3 butadiene, Carbon monoxide, Lead, Nitrogen dioxide, Particles (PM10) and Sulphur dioxide. Subsequent sections of the 1995 Act Required local authorities to Review air quality and to Assess whether the air quality objectives are being achieved. Where predictions indicate potential air quality objectives exceedences, local government is required to designate an air quality management area and prepare air quality action plans to deliver improved air quality.
In the first round of review and assessment (1998-2001), the Government has recommended a three-stage approach whereby each stage increases in detail and complexity. The second round of review and assessment (2003-2004) comprises two steps. The first is an Updating and Screening Assessment (USA) in which each local authority will identify changes to circumstances since the first round and complete a risk assessment to identify areas where air quality objectives are likely to be exceeded. Where a risk is identified, the local authority must move to the second step, a Detailed Assessment (DA). The Government and the Devolved Administration had published guidance documents (2000) to assist local authorities in carrying out their reviews and assessments. A new revised form of these guidance documents have been published in February 2003. The new guidance is significantly more prescriptive than its predecessors.
Research aims The aim of this research is to evaluate the local air quality management process in its second round of review and assessment in the context of increased prescription in the process. The research will test the following two key hypotheses: 1- The enhanced level of prescription will lead to the identification of new areas of air quality exceedences because of the prescription of the new process. 2- Changes within local authorities in the period since they completed the first round will have led to a reduction in the institutional capacity to manage air quality.
The outcomes of the research will provide timely and focused policy and practice advice for national and local government. It will inform the development of guidance for the third round of review and assessment and will provide early indications of a changing spatial pattern of air pollution in Great Britain.
Methods The Research methodology is a triangulation between reports appraisal, questionnaire survey and case studies interviews. Triangulation is used to cross – check the findings of the different methodologies and provide different perspectives to reach a common converging point in order to reduce uncertainties. The first step in the research triangle is USA and DA report appraisals held at Air Quality Management Resource Centre at UWE. The second step in the triangulation approach is questionnaire surveys. The research involves conducting two questionnaire surveys of local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. The first questionnaire was sent after the USA phase, it was sent to the environmental health professionals in all the local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland (407 local authorities). Different versions of the questionnaire were used for England and Wales compared to Scotland as the latter has different air quality objectives.The second questionnaire will be sent after the DA phase of the review and assessment process
Results Results from the research will be available here in due course.
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