Slough Borough Council

Can I Read Air Quality Reports for Slough?

Every local authority in England and Wales has an obligation to review local air quality under the Environment Act 1995. The aim of the review is to identify any areas where the national air quality standards and objectives may be exceeded.

The review process has several stages, with each stage being more detailed than the stage before it. If the results of the review and assessment suggest that a national air quality standard and objective will be breached in the area, then the local authority must declare an air quality management area and devise an action plan for air quality improvement.

Slough Borough Council completed stages 1, 2, and 3 of the first round of the review and assessment process in 2000. The conclusion was that it was unlikely that the national air quality standards would be breached by the objective years of 2004 and 2005, so there was no need to declare an air quality management area.

The second round of the process started with an update and screening report which was completed in 2003. The report concluded that a more detailed assessment was required for two pollutants, particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide.

The detailed assessment report 2004 has shown that it is likely that the annual objective for nitrogen dioxide will be exceeded in areas close to the M4, and the top of the A4 London Road close to M4 Junction 5. The main source of the exceedence is road traffic, particularly from the motorway. An air quality management area needs to be declared in these areas, and action plans prepared. Action plans will consider all the pollutant sources that contribute to the nitrogen dioxide exceedence so that a proportionate and cost effective response to the air quality problem can be made.

Read the review and assessment reports:

Slough Draft Air Quality Action Plan 2005 [ PDF ]
Slough Air Quality Progress Report 2005 [ PDF ]
Slough Air Quality Progress Report Appendices 2005 [ PDF ]
Stage 1+2 (combined) Non-technical Summary 1998 [ PDF ]
Stage 3 Executive Summary 2000 [ PDF ]
Stage 3 Full Report 2000 [ PDF ]
Emissions Inventory 2002 [ PDF ]
Updating and Screening Assessment 2003 [ PDF ]
Detailed Assessment 2004 [ PDF ]
Detailed Assessment Appendix 2004 [ PDF ]
Further Assessment 2004 [ PDF ]

Air quality management areas:

Designated Area 1 - including land adjacent to the M4 along the north carriageway (junctions 5-7) and south carriageway (junction 5-Sutton Lane)  [ PDF ]
Designated Area 2 - incorporates A4 London Road east of junction 5 M4 as far as Sutton Lane  [ PDF ]