Decision details

To revoke the Gosport Road and Portland Street Air Quality Management areas (AQMAs).

Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 introduced a requirement on all local authorities to carry out duties in relation to Local Air Quality Management (LAQM). All local authorities are obliged to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas and determine whether the air quality objectives for different pollutants are likely to be achieved.

Between 1998 and 2001, Fareham Borough Council undertook its first round of review and assessments of air quality.  Following subsequent monitoring and progress reports, the results showed that the NO₂   annual mean objective would be exceeded both in 2005 and 2010 in Gosport Road at the junction with Newgate Lane and Redlands Lane, and therefore Fareham Borough Council was required to declare an AQMA in the area.  The Fareham AQMA was declared in April 2006.  Following the 2006 Updating Screening Assessment, the Portland Street AQMA was declared on 01 December 2007 for nitrogen dioxide from vehicle exhaust emissions.

Due to the actions identified and implemented within the Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) and subsequent improvements in technology, following discussion and review of the 2023 data with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Fareham Borough Council has been instructed to revoke both AQMAs in early 2024.  This would be achieved by the Executive approving the order shown at Appendix A to the report.  If approved there will then be no AQMAs in Fareham.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves the Revocation of the two Air Quality Management Areas as detailed in the report.