Pollution

Measuring air quality

Air quality is monitored across Highland in accordance with the UK National Air Quality Strategy. This sets out the government's objectives to improve and protect air quality in the UK.

Local air quality management

Local authorities have to undertake annual air quality reviews of their areas to make sure the National Air Quality Objectives will be achieved. The pollutants that must be assessed by the local authority are:

  • Benzene
  • Carbon monoxide
  • 1,3-butadiene
  • Lead
  • Nitrogen dioxide
  • Sulphur dioxide
  • Fine particles

If the objective for a pollutant is exceeded or predicted to be exceeded by the required date for compliance, the local authority must declare the affected area an Air Quality Management Area. The authority must then draw up and implement an action plan to reduce pollution levels in the specified area.

Highland has one Air Quality Management Area in Inverness City Centre.

Inverness Air Quality Action Plan

Where there is sufficient evidence to support current and future compliance with the objectives within the Air Quaility Management Area (AQMA), we may seek revocation of the AQMA.

Our Inverness AQMA Revocation Proposal Report (2025) lays out the evidence for revocation of the Inverness City Centre AQMA that was established in 2014.

The document follows the Scottish Government's statutory guidance on Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) LAQM PG (S) 24. 

Key air quality action plan measures, such as the Rose Street Bus Gateway completed in 2018 and the introduction of the Ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV) bus fleet in 2023 have reduced pollutant emissions in the AQMA.

Ongoing monitoring within and around the AQMA confirms that annual mean nitrogen dioxide concentrations are well below the UK Air Quality Objective and have been so for three consecutive monitoring years. A maximum annual mean concentration of 25 µg/m3 was recorded in 2023.

We therefore seek to revoke the Inverness City Centre AQMA.

We will however continue to review and assess air quality and continue to pursue action plan measures and publish our air quality data. A wider Air Quality Strategy for Highland will also be developed.

National Low Emission Framework (NLEF) and Low Emission Zones (LEZ)

The National Low Emission Framework, which is now part of the review and assessment process for LAQM reporting in Scotland, contributes to the Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy by aiming to improve local air quality in areas where air quality objectives are exceeded, or likely to be exceeded, primarily due to emissions from transport. The formation of an LEZ is one of the measures considered by the NLEF. A screening process determines whether an LEZ is appropriate in the circumstance of each AQMA.

Our NLEF Stage 1 Screening Appraisal was undertaken in 2021.

The outcome of the screening appraisal was that the proposed measures at the time were sufficient and there was therefore no need to proceed to a Stage 2 Assessment. The general trend of monitoring data suggested that the nitrogen dioxide concentrations had reduced within the AQMA, other than what was believed to be a temporary increase in 2019 due to specific short-term traffic conditions. Action plan measures and local developments such as the bus station remodelling were expected to offer longer-term improvements in air quality within the AQMA.

To date, ongoing monitored levels within the AQMA continue to support the 2021 decision.

Annual reports

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