This technical note seeks to examine the current UK legislative landscape within which the local authority air quality management duties reside.
In the UK Local Authorities have a statutory duty for the management of local air quality (Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 - Part III of the Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002). As part of their responsibilities they are required to perform regular reviews and assessments of the quality of ambient air against a series of specific standards and objectives as prescribed by regulation.
This technical note is the first part of a wider investigation by the IES and IAQM that will examine where potential points of conflict may exist with other duties such as planning or energy efficiency (for example). The wider project will also seek to illustrate these points of conflict with reference to case study examples from local authorities. It is the intention is to arrive at sensible workable conclusions and/or recommendations that will be of use to Local Authority practitioners.
We are very grateful to UCL Faculty of Laws for their support.
Download the technical note (pdf).