Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

Air quality in Abingdon

In 2006 the Council declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in the centre of Abingdon to to help address air pollution problems affecting residents.

This was based on recommendations made following an assessment of air quality in Abingdon in 2005 which showed air pollution in parts of the town centre had exceeded national air quality objectives due to the levels of nitrogen dioxide from vehicle emissions. The "Detailed assessment of air quality in Abingdon 2005" can be downloaded from the right of the page.

The AQMA includes central Abingdon along Stratton Way, Stert Street and parts of High Street, Ock Street, the Vineyard and Bridge Street area of the town. Maps showing the area covered by the AQMA and the monitoring locations in the town can also be downloaded from the right, together with a graph showing the annual average levels of NO2 at the different monitoring locations.

A Further Assessment of air quality in the town was carried out to give more information about air quality. The report has also taken into account the introduction of measures to improve traffic flow in the town centre as a result of the Abingdon Integrated Transport Strategy (ABITS). This assessment, which can also be downloaded from the right of the page, shows there have been some reductions in nitrogen dioxide in parts of the AQMA but that the national objective is still being exceeded. The Council is currrently asking for people's views on the Further Assessment - for more information about this see our page Consultation on Further Assessment of air quality in Abingdon.

The Council must now devise and implement an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) containing measures which will reduce nitrogen dioxide in Abingdon town centre. There will be further public consultation on this in due course.