Air quality

Home > Services > Environment > Pollution

These are areas where there are legal controls called 'smoke control orders' which regulate emissions from houses burning coal and wood. Anyone breaking a smoke control order may be reported to the procurator fiscal and prosecuted in terms of the Clean Air Act 1993.

Environmental Services also monitor other sources of air pollution such as smoke from bonfires, unpleasant odours, grit and dust. Further information on the causes, effects and control of air pollution are available on the Environmental Protection UK website.

Air quality strategy
Despite considerable improvements in air quality over the last 40 years, air pollution continues to affect human health and the natural and built environment. Our aim is to provide a clean and safe environment for everyone and air which is fit to breathe. The Government periodically sets out its plan for improving air quality in 'air quality strategy' consultation documents and subsequently introduces legislation based on these.

The Government's air quality strategy is currently based on making sure that concentrations of seven key pollutants do not exceed specified (health based) levels in the outdoor air. The key pollutants are:

• benzene
• 1,3-butadiene
• carbon monoxide
• lead
• nitrogen dioxide
• sulphur dioxide
• fine particles (PM10)

More information about these pollutants can be found on the Air Pollution Information System (APIS) and Scottish Government websites.

Air quality monitoring in Renfrewshire
Environmental Services manage this process in Renfrewshire by:

• periodically reviewing and assessing air quality
• declaring Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) if necessary
• developing and implementing action plans detailing how air quality targets will be met in AQMAs

Environmental services have carried out reviews and assessments of air quality in Renfrewshire and produced several reports which you can download here:


Detailed assessment of local air quality 2004 (pdf - 1.30MB)
Local air quality monitoring progress report 2004 (pdf - 450KB)
Renfrewshire Air Quality Management Order No.1 (pdf - 12KB)
location map of Central Road Air Quality Management Area (pdf - 162KB)
Updating and screening assessment of local air quality(pdf - 5.42MB)
Air Detailed Assessment 2007(pdf - 269KB)
Draft Air Quality Plan 2008(pdf - 1.89MB)
Air Progress Report 2008(pdf - 453KB)
AQMA Board Report May 09(pdf- 428KB)
Updating & Screening Assessment 2009(pdf - 9.60MB)
Further Assessment Paisley Town Centre 2011(pdf - 12.52MB)
2010 Air Quality Progress Report for Renfrewshire Council(pdf - 2.54MB)
2011 Air Quality Progress Report for Renfrewshire Council(pdf - 3.51MB)

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents. Download Acrobat Reader here. Warning: some of these pdf files may take a long time to download due to the large file sizes.

Subsequent reports will be published in due course in accordance with Scottish Government guidelines.

Report	Estimated Due Date
2012 - Updating and Screening Assessment	31 July 2012
2013 - Progress Report	31 July 2013
2014 - Progress Report	31 July 2014
2015 - Updating and Screening Assessment	31 July 2015
2016 - Progress Report	31 July 2016
2017 - Progress Report	31 July 2017

If you are concerned about air pollution from an industrial source, contact the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) or see the Scottish Government air quality pages.

If you would like more general information on air pollution, please contact us on

• email: e-prot.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• phone: 0141 840 3106
• call or write to us at:
  Renfrewshire Council
  Environmental Services
  Environmental Improvement
  Renfrewshire House
  Cotton Street
  Paisley
  PA1 1BR
  

back to top