Air Quality

Local Air Quality Management

The Environment Act 1995 places a duty on the Council via Environmental Health to asses and review it's local air quality.

The first review and assessment carried out in 1999/2000 looked at the following pollutants;

• Nitrogen Dioxide

• Sulphur Dioxide

• Carbon Monoxide

• Benzene

• 1.3 Butadiene

• Lead

• Fine Particles (PM10)

Of these, only nitrogen dioxide and finer particles gave cause for concern and led to a further in depth study following which it was found that the levels in the Borough did not breach any of the Air Quality standards. Subsequent updating reviews have found no changes to the situation

The Environmental Health team is currently carrying out a further updating and screen assessment which will be added here once completed.

Environmental Health operates a continuous Air Quality Management Station located at its offices at Trafalgar House in Great Yarmouth which monitors nitrogen dioxide, fine particles and ozone. Information and data from the station can be found at www.air-quality.net

Domestic bonfires

You can have domestic bonfires at any time BUT if the smoke, fumes, or ash etc cause a nuisance to neighbouring residents an offence may be committed and Environmental Health may take formal or informal action against the person responsible for the fire. An assessment of nuisance may include any of the following:

• Contamination of laundry on a washing line

• Having to close windows on a warm day

• Unable to sit in a garden

A nuisance can also be caused due to a one-off fire if it's deemed bad enough by the Environmental Health Officer.

Quick Tips for those considering a fire;

1. If at all possible - DON’T. Compost green/garden waste. If you have more than will fit in a bin, hire a skip or take the waste to the Caister Tip.

2. Only burn clean dry material such as wood or paper. Do not burn plastics, paints/paint covered material, roofing felt, green waste or other material that creates smoke, noxious fumes or fine ash.

3. Tell your neighbours (this does not give you exemption from causing a nuisance though). Do not have frequent fires.

4. Respect the law, the householder is under a duty of care to dispose of your waste responsibly - see also the National Society For Clean Air (NSCA) website

Commercial/Industrial Bonfires

The same nuisance rules apply as above plus;

• Do not burn any material that gives rise to dark smoke such as paints, plastics, tyres etc. This is likely to lead directly to prosecution.

• Do not burn electrical cable to recover the metal.

• Do not burn straw or stubble left in a field.

• The operator is under a Duty of Care to dispose of waste according to the law.

Please note that;

• All building sites are commercial

• All agricultural land is commercial

For more information regarding Air Quality please contact us with your enquiry using the contact details to the right of this page