The Local Air Quality Management Policy Guidance for Scotland’s local authorities has been updated. The guidance has been revised to take account of changes to industrial emissions legislation and requirements.
The guidance is intended to help local authorities with their local air quality management duties under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995. It sets out:
- the statutory background and the legislative framework within which local authorities have to work;
- the principles behind reviews and assessments of air quality and the recommended steps that local authorities should take;
- how local authorities should handle the designation of Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and the drawing up and implementation of action plans;
- suggestions for taking forward the development of local air quality strategies;
- suggestions on how local authorities should consult and liaise with others;
- the role of transport-related measures in improving air quality;
- the general principles behind air quality and land use planning;
- the effects of biomass on air quality;
- the relationships between air quality and noise policy.
The guidance is intended for all local authority departments involved in local air quality management (LAQM), including environmental health, corporate services, planning, economic development and transport planning. The guidance complements the information and advice contained in Cleaner Air for Scotland(CAFS), which was published in November 2015.
This policy guidance, along with accompanying technical guidance (TG (16)) and CAFS are the primary guidance documents to which local authorities should have regard when carrying out their air quality review and assessment work. The guidance replaces the LAQM policy guidance published in February 2009.
The guidance can be accessed here.
