Air quality in Portsmouth

Our transport vision: cleaner, greener and safer

The council performs an annual review and assessment of pollution in Portsmouth to meet our statutory obligations. These are set according to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Local Air Quality Management Technical Guidance. To achieve this, we monitor air quality with the help of continuous monitoring stations at key locations across the city which provide us with real-time air quality monitoring data.

In Portsmouth, the main pollutants which may impact on human health are principally the products of combustion from road traffic – mainly nitrogen dioxide. Currently there are five Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) predicted to exceed the annual nitrogen dioxide National Air Quality Objective (NAQO). Their locations are represented in red on the ‘AQMA Locations’ map, available in the documents section below.

Every year we publish all of our results in the Air Quality Annual Status Report. Copies of our annual status reports can be requested by emailing cleanerair@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Air pollution queries

Please contact us with any air pollution-related queries or comments by email at public.protection@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or alternatively, phone City Help Desk on 023 9283 4167.

For queries relating to the Clean Air Zone please email us at CAZHelpDesk@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or alternatively, phone City Help Desk on 023 9283 4167.

Cleaner air for Portsmouth

Air pollution has serious effects on our health and environment. Improving the air we breathe in Portsmouth is a top priority for Portsmouth City Council and one we can all play our part in.

Air Quality Local Plan

Alongside many other busy cities around the UK, Portsmouth has been identified as a city that needs to reduce air pollution levels as quickly as possible.

We are working closely with Government’s Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) to develop a plan to ensure that levels of nitrogen dioxide in the city are reduced below legal limits in the shortest possible time. This is known as our Air Quality Local Plan.

The process that we have to follow to produce our Air Quality Local Plan has been set out by JAQU and there are a number of documents that we are required to submit to Government for review. The outline business case has now been submitted to Government for them to review, and we expect to hear feedback on this soon.

Download the air quality plan outline business case document.