Air quality
North Devon Council monitors and models air pollutant levels to assess current and future air quality.
National Air Quality Strategy
The National Air Quality Strategy aims to protect people's health and the environment. It describes government plans to improve and protect ambient air quality and the measures that will help to deliver cleaner air quickly. Find out more about the National Air Quality Strategy on the Defra website.
Our role in the strategy is to make a judgement on whether the air quality objectives are likely to be met. Where objectives are not likely to be met, we are required to designate an air quality management area (AQMA) at the relevant locations.
Air quality management areas - AQMA
We have one AQMA in North Devon:
- Braunton air quality management area (pdf 334KB)
- Local Air Quality Action Plan - May 2016 (pdf 824KB)
Local air quality monitoring
Our air quality monitoring sites are:
- Pilton Causeway, Barnstaple
- Rolle Street 1, Barnstaple
- Rolle Street 2, Barnstaple
- Lower Sticklepath Roundabout, Barnstaple
- Sticklepath School, Barnstaple
- Cedars Roundabout, Barnstaple
- Newport Road, Barnstaple
- South Street, Newport, Barnstaple
- Castle Street, Barnstaple
- Alexandra Road, Barnstaple
- Belle Meadow Road, Barnstaple
- The Square, Braunton
- The London Inn, Braunton
- Church Street, Ilfracombe
- High Street, Ilfracombe
- Broad Street, South Molton
Screening assessments, progress reports and assessments submitted and accepted by DEFRA
Radon
North Devon Council does not have responsibility for monitoring and identifying radon gas. More information can be found on Public Health England's website.
Pollution prevention and control - PPC
North Devon Council must, by law, regulate certain types of factory and other activities such as dry cleaners. This is to reduce any pollution they may cause and, in particular, to help improve air quality.
Businesses which operate these premises must have a permit.
The council decides whether or not to give a permit to an operator. The permit states the ways in which pollution is to be minimised.
Details of all Permitted Processes are placed on a public register.
