Air quality

Monitoring

We have a duty to locate, monitor and improve air quality in the Borough. Local Authority Air Quality Management (LAQM) is the Government’s Air Quality regime for how we have carried this out. You can visit the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website for more information.

Air Pollution Monitoring

The main source of air pollution is from vehicle emissions. We have the largest automatic monitoring network in Kent – 3 automatic stations and 80 NO2 diffusion tubes currently several locations. We have declared 6 Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) at the following locations:

• AQMA 1: Newington, (A2 / High St) - declared in 2009
• AQMA 2: Ospringe Street, Faversham (A2/Ospringe) declared in June 2011 and revised (as AQMA 6) to the Mount in May 2016. AQMA 2 has now been revoked and renamed and consolidated into one as AQMA 6
• AQMA 3: East Street, Sittingbourne (A2 / Canterbury Road) - declared January 2013;
• AQMA 4: St Paul’s Street, Milton, Sittingbourne (B2006) - declared January 2013 – October 2020 an amendment was made to include PM10 exceedances (24 hr mean) in addition to the NO2 exceedance (annual mean)
• AQMA 5: Teynham (A2 / London Rd) - declared December 2015.
• AQMA 6: Ospringe Street, Faversham (A2/Ospringe) (revised from AQMA 2) to the Mount in May 2016
• AQMA 7: Keycol Hill – declared October 2020

You can view a map of our AQMAs (PDF 1000KB).

Air Quality Action Plan

This sets out what we are doing to improve air quality over the next few years. We have developed a strategic action plan to improve the air quality on the A2 throughout most of the borough. Air quality issues are also set out in the latest Swale Local Plan and the Air Quality Planning Technical Guidance.

You can download the Air Quality Action Plan (2023 - 2028) Supersedes 2018 – 2022 AQAP (PDF 3.43MB).

Annual Status Report

This report details how we are doing in achieving or maintaining air quality objectives, and:

• shows levels of pollutants in the borough over the year in question
• lists the actions identified in the Air Quality Action Plan and describes the status of each action

This report is sent to DEFRA for approval each year. You can download the:

• 2023 report (PDF 2.32MB)
• 2022 report  (PDF 3.44MB)
• 2021 report (PDF 3.58MB)
• 2020 report (PDF 8.11MB)

Pollution alerts and reducing exposure

Air Alert is a free service where you receive alerts when air quality is due to be poor in your area. You can register to have the alerts sent straight to your telephone, mobile phone or computer.

This is useful if you, or someone you care for, suffers from:

• asthma
• emphysema
• bronchitis
• heart disease
• angina

You can visit Kent Air's website to sign up to air quality alerts by email.

Further Information

More information on:

• the affect on air quality of domestic bonfires and chimneys, by calling our Environmental Response Team on 01795 417850
• air pollution, air quality monitoring and health related issues, by contacting our Environmental Protection Team on 01622 602460 or by emailing ehadmin@midkent.gov.uk
• air quality, by visiting DEFRA's website
• air quality, by visiting Kent Air's website

You can download the Air Quality Planning Technical Guidance (PDF 558.95kb).