Thanet District Council has been monitoring air pollutants since 1993. In 1997 we joined the Kent and Medway Air Quality Partnership. This is a county-wide initiative to pool information, knowledge and data to enable long term planning across Kent, and to enable pollution trends to be monitored. A website has been set up, dedicated to improving public information about local air pollution. kentair.org.uk/
The council reviews monitoring results at 42 sites across Thanet and assesses these data against national air quality objectives for specific pollutants. We submit an Annual Status Report to Defra every year for review.
Air pollution comes from many sources and can travel long distances. Emissions from both distant and local sources can build up into high concentrations of pollution in a particular area. Air quality is the largest environmental health risk in the UK; it shortens lives and contributes to chronic illness [Government Clean Air Strategy 2019]. Although Thanet has good air quality overall, there are some areas, notably along busy roads, where pollution levels are high at certain times of the day. People with pre-existing respiratory conditions should take extra care; Defra’s website UK-Air has lots of helpful information on pollution forecasts and health advice.
Data in the annual status reports show that there have been no exceedances of the health objectives across the district for several years. The downward trend in pollution levels looks set to continue, helped by improvements in vehicle emissions standards and the forthcoming ban on the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans in 2035, and the sale of hybrid vehicles from 2035. The government is investing £1.3 billion to improve electric vehicle infrastructure across the UK.
Thanet does not have any Air Quality Management Areas as pollution levels have consistently been well within guideline levels. Ramsgate Air Quality Management Area was revoked in Sept 2024. Despite not having any exceedance areas, monitoring continues across the district and the Council is currently working on an Air Quality Strategy which will be uploaded here early 2025.
Review and Assessment Reports
- Annual Status Report 2024
- Annual Status Report 2023
- Detailed Assessment 2022
- Annual Status Report 2022
- Annual status Report 2021
Air Quality Guide for Developers
See also