Air Quality Reporting Cycle

We carry out air quality reviews and assessments in accordance with government guidance. This is a cyclical process which starts over every few years. All reports must be sent to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for approval. The latest timetable of reviews is shown below:

Updating and Screening Assessment (USA)

Updating and Screening Assessments are the first stage of an air quality review. They are produced every three years in a standard format, as required by technical and policy guidance. USAs look at what has changed since the start of the last review, for example new developments, traffic counts/vehicle movements, and so on, and recommend whether a local authority needs to carry out a Detailed Assessment of air quality for a particular pollutant in a particular area.

Detailed Assessment (DA)

A Detailed Assessment is report based upon accurate air quality monitoring, usually for a minimum of 3 months, in an area we think may have poor air quality. Often monitoring results are put in to a computer programme which creates a map of estimated pollutant levels. It is this report which recommends whether we need to create an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in order to improve the air quality in that particular area.

Further Assessment (FA)

A Further Assessment is a Detailed Assessment that is carried out after an AQMA has been created.

Progress Report

Progress Reports are sent to Defra in the intervening years between Updating and Screening Assessments. They are the way in which Defra follows the progress Local Authorities are making on any air quality matters within their boundaries.

For copies of past air quality reports for the district, please follow the link to the Essex Air Quality Consortium website.

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