The Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 introduced a statutory obligation on councils to carry out a review and assessment of their local air quality known as local air quality management (LAQM). This involves measuring air pollution and trying to predict how it will change in the next few years. The aim of the review is to make sure that the national air quality objectives will be achieved throughout the UK by the relevant deadlines.

In Northern Ireland the air quality objectives contained in the strategy are incorporated into the Air Quality Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003. This provides the statutory basis for the system of LAQM.

If a local authority finds any places where the objectives are not likely to be achieved, it must declare an Air Quality Management Area there.

Over the past six years Newtownabbey Borough Council has been assessing the levels of these main pollutants identified by the government. Our recent Progress Report concluded that the limits for Nitrogen Dioxide from road traffic are likely to be exceeded at three locations within the Borough and as a result three Air Quality management Areas have been declared.

Newtownabbey’s Air Quality Management Areas

An Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) is an area of land where air quality levels are breeching the national limits and require action to deal with or ‘manage’ this and are put in place to protect people's health and the environment.

The Council has declared 3 AQMAs due to the emissions of nitrogen dioxide from road traffic (see below), and these came into effect on 28 January 2008.

Air Quality Management Area 2 - Main Street, Ballyclare:

View Map (.pdf 102Kb)

View Streets (.pdf 27Kb)

View AQMA Order (.pdf 780Kb)

Air Quality Management Area 3 - Antrim Road, Elmfield:

View Map (.pdf 256Kb)

View Streets (.doc 29Kb)

View AQMA Order (.doc 78Kb)

Air Quality Management Area 4 - Sandyknowes:

View Map (.pdf 240Kb)

View Streets (.doc 28Kb)

View AQMA Order (.doc 77Kb)

Air Quality Management Area 1 - Ballyclare (revoked):

View Map (.pdf 1.72Mb)

View Streets (.doc 40Kb)

View Revocation Order (.doc 286Kb)

The declaration of Air Quality Management Areas indicates that the Council recognises that air quality is poor within the areas, and that positive steps now need to be taken to reduce these levels through development of an Action Plan.

Review and Assessment Reports

The First Stage Review and Assessment Report on Air Quality for Newtownabbey Borough Council (.pdf 51Kb)

Top of page