Find out how we review air quality across the borough, and view our Annual Status Report on air quality
Annual Status Report 2026
The Annual Status Report (ASR 2026) is our annual review of air quality across the whole district. This is a statutory duty and we follow DEFRA LAQM statutory technical and policy guidance.
DEFRA review
The air quality Annual Status Report (ASR) for 2026 has been completed and sent to DEFRA for appraisal. DEFRA appraise all Local Authority ASRs and provide commentary on the report. They determine if the report follows the statutory guidance and will either approve the report or make recommendations to be followed..
Main conclusions for ASR 2026
The key findings are as follows:
- No exceedances of the National Air Quality Strategy standards were identified for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) during 2025. The last time an annual mean exceedance occurred was in 2019 within Railway Rd Air Quality Management Area (AQMA; Site No 2).
- This is the 6th continuous year where compliant results have been observed with no exceedances of the NO2 annual mean objective.
- According to the Technical Guidance (LAQM TG22) there should be no AQMA ‘for which compliance with the relevant objective has been achieved for a consecutive five-year period’.
- Due to this continued period of compliance and as set out in last year’s ASR, we have taken the remaining AQMA (Railway Rd) through Council for revocation. This was agreed at Council on 23 April 2026.
- In 2025 the highest NO2 annual mean concentration was at site 102 (29.1 µg/m3) which compared to 2024 at site 2 (31.2 µg/m3). Both sites (102 and 2) are in a similar location close to the junction where buses join the northbound traffic along Railway Rd. This is where we historically see the highest NO2 annual mean concentrations.
- Trends in NO2 following the first Covid lock-down year of 2020 showed a marked reduction of around 20% in the annual mean NO2 concentrations. The concern had been the extent of traffic rebound, but annual mean NO2 concentrations have shown a consistent and gradual reduction since with all results now at least 10% below the NO2 objective (<36 µg/m3; annual mean objective 40 µg/m3).
- In 2025 we assessed 93 planning applications with the most significant (22) described in Appendix C of the ASR.
- No new developments were identified as likely to significantly impact overall NO2 levels.
- No exceedances of PM10 objectives level were indicated during 2025 from low-cost monitoring
Priorities for 2026/27
Our main priorities are:
- With no AQMAs in place, the Air Quality Action Plan will be replaced with an Air Quality Strategy to facilitate improvements in air quality in due course.
- In support of the national population exposure reduction target for PM2.5 we will continue to work with Norfolk County Council’s public health specialists to develop a health-based air quality project focussing on PM10 & PM2.5 across the district by targeting the principal sources within this council’s control.
- We will continue to attend and work jointly with the Norfolk countywide Air Quality Group to help progress the Air Quality Framework that is being promoted by Norfolk County Council Public Health.
- We will carry out an annual review of monitoring locations to ensure the monitoring remains representative of public exposure.
- Continue to collaborate closely with partners to implement King’s Lynn Transport Strategy and assess regeneration and traffic management projects which will assist with reducing traffic related emissions.
- Continue to review planning applications.
- Submit an Order revoking Railway Rd AQMA to the LAQM portal.
- Submit an ASR in June next year (2026) including an update on the Air Quality Strategy for the BCKLWN area.
This ASR has been reviewed and signed off by Norfolk County Council Public Health Team on behalf of the Director of Public Health.
Defra’s appraisal comments from last year that we have considered in this ASR can be viewed below.
Full annual status report
For more information you can view a copy of the full report below.