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Air Quality Management Areas

Councils must regularly assess air pollution levels within their areas against a number of health-based objectives.

This is a requirement under the Environment Order for Northern Ireland (2002).

If pollution levels in an area are likely to exceed these objectives, an Air Quality Management Area must be set up and an Air Quality Action Plan developed.

In August 2004, we set up four Air Quality Management Areas for Belfast. These are:

• the M1 motorway and Westlink
• Upper Newtownards Road
• Cromac Street (at the junction of Short Strand, Woodstock Link and Albertbridge Road)
• Ormeau Road.

All four areas do not currently meet air quality objectives for nitrogen dioxide levels.

One location also fails to meet our target for particulate matter - solid particles in the air which are so small, they are not filtered by either the nose or mouth.

Once inhaled however, they enter the lungs and other organs where they can cause serious damage.