Air quality work on agenda for City Committee
At today’s meeting of the Inverness and Area City Committee members were given an update on the air quality work undertaken by the Council’s Environmental Health Team, including project work carried out in Primary Schools to monitor air quality and raise awareness.
Under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995, the Council has a duty to review and assess air quality throughout Highland. The Act also requires that if an assessment of air quality indicates that an air quality objective is unlikely to be achieved, the Council must designate these areas as an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) by order.
A detailed assessment report of air quality in the City Centre in 2014 determined a small area where the air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide was not being achieved. The Inverness City Centre AQMA was designated by order on the 9 September 2014.
Since then, the Council has formulated an action plan for the AQMA, working with partners and stakeholders to progress actions that would improve air quality in the AQMA. The Council also expanded the air quality monitoring network in the city to track pollutant levels and quantify improvement.
In the report presented to members, it was noted that because of improved levels of nitrogen dioxide, and following advice from the Scottish Government, the council is in the process of revoking the Inverness AQMA.
Leader of Inverness and Area Councillor Ian Brown said: “It is a very positive reflection of the work that has been going on that the process to revoke the Inverness AGMA is due to be completed shortly so I’d like to thank everyone involved.
“I’m particularly pleased that our Environmental Health team have been very proactive in working to carry out air quality monitoring and awareness raising projects at 15 primary schools within our area.
“Going forward, it is important that the Inverness can continue to have clean air for the health of residents, and its reputation as a tourism destination so I’m pleased the Service will look to develop a strategy with other Council services and stakeholders and will keep our committee updated.”
The Environmental Health Team will continue to deliver the primary school air quality education project and intend to deliver an anti-idling publicity campaign in the city centre as part of “Clean Air Day” on the 19 June 2025.