Local Authorities are required to assess and report every year to the government on the air quality in their local area. The reports must assess whether the statutory health-based objectives are being met. Where the objectives are not being met a Local Authority has to produce an Air Quality Action Plan to improve local air quality.
Hastings
- Annual Status Report 2023
- Annual Status Report 2022
- Annual Status Report 2021
- Annual Status Report 2020
- Annual Status Report 2019
- Annual Status Report 2018
- Annual Status Report 2017
- Annual Status Report 2016
Hastings Borough Council: Review and Assessment Summary
Background
Air quality across Hastings & St Leonards reaches the national standard. However, on a small part of the Bexhill Road, levels of Particulate Matter (PM) historically exceeded these standards. As a result, an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) was declared, and an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) prepared.
PM is very fine dust which comes from industry, various road traffic debris, sea salt and biological particles. Since 2011 PM concentrations have reduced and have remained below annual air quality limit values. Additionally, the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road opened in 2015 which helped improve air quality in this area further. Therefore, the AQMA was revoked in 2017.
The average exposure to PM concentrations, specifically for PM2.5 across the borough, calculated by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, was below the government’s 2040 target of 10μg.m-3 and below the average for the rest of England and the Southeast.
Air Quality Monitoring
Air quality in the borough is monitored automatically, 24 hours a day, by our monitoring station HT1. The results from the static roadside monitors are fed to the external certification company Bureau Veritas for analysis. Environmental Health officers at Hastings Borough Council undertake monthly calibration checks and change particulate monitor filters.
The static roadside air quality monitor (HT1) contains the following equipment:
- TAP 200 series NOX Analyser, which measures levels of Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and the oxides of Nitrogen(NOX)
- Thermo Teom 1400 Particulate Matter (PM10) which performs a filter based direct mass measurement for determining particulate matter mass concentrations.
- Bam-1020 continuous particulate PM 2.5 monitor. The BAM-1020 automatically measures and records airborne particulate concentration levels (in milligrams or micrograms per cubic meter) using the industry-proven principle of beta ray attenuation.
Additionally, there are 14 lamp post mounted Nitrogen Dioxide measurement tubes which are replaced monthly, again by Hastings Borough Council Environmental Health Officers, and are situated in various locations throughout the borough. These tubes measure background levels of Nitrogen Dioxide to assist in the overall monitoring of air quality in the Borough.
Air Quality Strategy
Future developments and initiatives are also planned and include the completion of the Queensway Gateway Road. These measures are predicted to improve the flow of traffic and therefore further support and enhance air quality improvements. Following revocation of the AQMA in 2017 and the completion of these projects we will review our air quality monitoring, as part of an air quality strategy, to reflect these changes and to ensure that the quality of air within the borough continues to meet the Government’s national standard.