Clean air is essential for our health, wellbeing and the environment. We regularly monitor and review the air quality across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to make sure we are the meeting air quality standards which are set by the UK Air Quality Standards Regulations (2010).

Types of pollutants that we monitor and report on include:

• Carbon monoxide (CO)
• Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
• PM10 particulate matter
• Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
• Lead
• Benzene
• Ozone (O3)

If at any time the pollutants listed exceed the national standards we declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and create an action plan to help reduce the pollutant levels.

We also work closely with our planning and traffic departments to ensure that there is always a focus on environmental and social impact, particularly in new planning developments or road schemes.