An area of Kirkstall will no longer be one of six air quality management zones across Leeds, a council report has said.
The Normans, situated off the busy A65, was has been an air quality management area (AQMA) since 2010 which has been closely monitored for the quality of its environment – but the council now says air quality has improved in five of the those areas and they no longer need close management.
The report says local authorities have a duty to monitor the quality of air, produce an annual status report and designate special management areas known as where pollutants exceed UK targets.
It adds: “Comprehensive monitoring within the AQMA’s has identified that air quality within five of the AQMAs is now within UK objectives and has been consistently so, for a number of years.”
Monitoring results for 2020 were disregarded due to the Covid lockdown restrictions in place that year, which significantly reduced vehicle traffic and commercial activity.
The report concluded: “The revocation of AQMA status does not mean that air quality monitoring will cease. Monitoring will continue at the same locations for the foreseeable future to ensure continued compliance with UK objectives and to identify any future trends in air quality.”
The five AQMA’s being revoked are:
- Ebor Gardens, Burmantofts
- Caspar Apartments, Little London
- The Normans, Kirkstall
- The Tilburys, Holbeck
- Chapel Hill, Morley
The air quality management area in Pool-in-Wharfedale will remain in place.
The report can be read in full here.