A report before members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s cabinet next week, will seek approval to consult on the proposed revocation of the Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) in Haverfordwest and Pembroke, following sustained compliance with national air quality objectives.

Members at the meeting due to be held on Monday, January 12 will receive a report on the matter from Director Social Care, Housing and Public Protection Gaynor Toft.

In 2012, Pembrokeshire County Council identified that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) were exceeding the national annual mean objective within certain areas of Pembroke (specifically along Main Street) and within sections of Haverfordwest’s main commercial streets. The elevated concentrations were attributed primarily to road traffic emissions, particularly in narrow streets where vehicle emissions were less effectively dispersed.

Although the number of exceedances was limited, the Council had a statutory duty under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 to take action to achieve and maintain compliance with national air quality objectives. Consequently, as a precautionary measure, Pembrokeshire County Council formally designated these areas as Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs).

The declaration of the AQMAs required the preparation and implementation of a detailed Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), setting out a range of targeted measures aimed at improving local air quality.

These actions included:

• Enhanced and more frequent monitoring of key pollutants;

• Greater consideration of air quality impacts within planning and transport policy decisions

• Collaborative engagement with Public Health Wales, local businesses, and community stakeholders to promote awareness and behavioural change.

For the Local Authority, this initiative not only ensured statutory compliance but also contributed to wider objectives relating to public health protection, environmental quality, and sustainable development. The work aligned with Wales’s broader commitments to clean air, climate change mitigation, and long-term wellbeing goals.

To support the AQMA designations, a comprehensive local monitoring network was established, comprising 48 diffusion tube monitoring stations across both Haverfordwest and Pembroke.

Each diffusion tube is tested and replaced on a monthly basis, providing a continuous dataset on ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations to track progress and assess the effectiveness of implemented measures.

Over several years, measured NO₂ levels have shown a consistent downward trend, reflecting the effectiveness of local emission reduction measures and broader improvements in vehicle technology and fleet composition.

Monitoring results for the most recent three-year period in both AQMAs indicate that annual mean NO₂ concentrations have remained below the national objective of 40 μg/m³, as defined in the Air Quality (Wales) Regulations 2000, and also below the precautionary threshold of 36 μg/m³ recommended in DEFRA’s Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) guidance.

Welsh Government Guidance indicates that Local Authorities can vary or revoke an existing AQMA order as a result of a subsequent air quality review, as set out under section 83(2) of the 1995 Act.

The suggestion is that to be confident that a revocation can be justified, air quality objectives will be achieved for a period of 3 consecutive years.

On the basis of this sustained compliance and the clear evidence of air quality improvement, Pembrokeshire County Council proposes to revoke both the Haverfordwest and Pembroke AQMAs.

The recommendations to be put to PCC’s cabinet are as follows:

• Cabinet authorises a six-week public consultation on the proposal to revoke the Haverfordwest and Pembroke Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) but prior to this, a six-week public consultation is undertaken in accordance with the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) framework.

• Following consideration of the consultation responses, the decision on whether to revoke the Air Quality Management Areas for Haverfordwest and Pembroke is delegated to the Head of Housing and Public Protection following discussion with the Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services.