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Air quality management areas

Information about air quality management areas in the borough

National health-based standards protect vulnerable members of society from the impacts of poor air quality, including:

  • the young
  • the elderly
  • those suffering already from long-term (chronic) respiratory illnesses.

Where air pollution levels exceed the relevant standards, we are required to declare an ‘Air Quality Management Area’ (AQMA) and subsequently implement an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) with measures that secure and maintain these standards going forward. The pollutant of concern has been nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted from traffic.

Air Quality Management Areas in King’s Lynn

Railway Road AQMA

Monitoring of air quality originally found raised concentrations of NO2 over the annual mean objective (40ug/m3) in the Town Centre along Railway Road (A148). The road network within this location suffers from poor air dispersion owing to a street canyon type effect, with properties situated close to the road and slow-moving traffic. It resulted in the first AQMA being declared in 2003.

Further detailed assessment was subsequently undertaken in 2005 that showed risk of raised NO2 concentrations elsewhere. The decision was taken to vary the Railway Road AQMA area to include properties along the A148 (London Rd) extending down to the South Gate as well as including properties in the Town Centre’s gyratory system;

Nitrogen dioxide levels are much improved, with the last annual mean nitrogen dioxide exceedance occurring in 2019 i.e. pre-Covid. Whilst there has been this improvement we are not proposing to revoke this AQMA until we better understand the impacts from transport schemes, that include the Southgates Masterplan and the Town Centre’s Gyratory system, in conjunction with the West Winch Growth area.

Gaywood Clock junction

This area was formerly designated as an AQMA, but due to the continued period of compliance and no significant changes being identified in new developments or from changes in traffic, the decision has been taken to revoke Gaywood Clock AQMA.

Developments in the area have been shown to have a negligible effect in terms of air quality (see report on Florence Fields below). The last exceedance observed within this former AQMA was in 2010.

Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) 2024-2029

The AQAP has updated with new measures and priorities that focus on active travel/modal shift as well as improvements to the bus/public transport system.  This went out to consultation between January – March 2024.

The updated version was adopted in September 2024, subject to appraisal by Defra.

Air Quality Monitoring

Air quality monitoring continues within these areas, including a new continuous monitoring station (Earthsense Zephyr) in Railway Rd AQMA, plus additional NO2 diffusion tubes on the road link off from the Gaywood junction to the Florence Fields development.

For further information please see the following reports;