The UK is required to report breaches of EU air quality limit values/long-term objectives to the European Commission on an annual basis. The following table provides a list of all agglomerations (urban areas with a population greater than 250,000) in which breaches occurred in 2006—this is the latest year for which fully validated data is available. The data can also be accessed via the European Environment Agency’s website.
In interpreting the data, it is important to note that, in nearly all cases, the breaches occurred alongside the busiest roads in built up urban areas, such as Marylebone road in central London, and were not widespread.
The UK’s recently revised Air Quality Strategy sets out a way forward for work and planning on improving air quality throughout the UK.
Nitrogen dioxide Particulate matter (PM16) Ozone 1 hour mean limit value Annual mean limit value Daily mean limit value Annual mean limit value Long term objective Greater London Urban Area y y y y y West Midlands Urban Area — m m m y Greater Manchester Urban Area — y m — y West Yorkshire Urban Area — m y — y Tyneside — m m — y Liverpool Urban Area — m m — y Sheffield Urban Area — m m — y Nottingham Urban Area — m m — y Bristol Urban Area — y m — m Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton — m y — y Leicester Urban Area — m m — y Portsmouth Urban Area — m m — y Teesside Urban Area — m m — y The Potteries (Stoke on Trent) — m m — y Bournemouth Urban Area — m m — y Reading/Wokingham Urban Area — m m — y Coventry/Bedworth — m m — y Kingston upon Hull — m m — y Southampton Urban Area — m m — y Birkenhead Urban Area — m — — y Southend Urban Area — m m — y Blackpool Urban Area — — — — y Preston Urban Area — m — — y Glasgow Urban Area — y y — m Edinburgh Urban Area — m — — y Cardiff Urban Area — m — — y Swansea Urban Area — — — — y Belfast Urban Area — m m — y — indicates no breach; y indicates a monitored breach; m indicates a modelled breach.