Bromley is one of the least polluted London boroughs, and air quality has improved significantly in recent years. While all national air quality objectives are currently being met, Bromley Council remains committed to maintaining this progress and delivering further improvements.
Air quality affects the health and wellbeing of everyone who lives, works, studies or visits Bromley. The health effects of air pollution are wide-ranging and can particularly affect vulnerable groups, including children, older people and those with existing health conditions.
Bromley has a declared Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) for Nitrogen Dioxide encompassing the northern part of the borough excluding Biggin Hill, Darwin and parts of St Mary Cray, St Pauls Cray and Chelsfield. The AQMA was first declared for in 2007 and was increased in size in 2020.
An AQMA can be declared when levels of air pollution exceed certain legal limits, known as air quality standards and objectives. When an AQMA is declared, local authorities are obliged to produce an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP). The AQAP outlines how the local authority will work to improve and measure levels of air pollution locally.
Bromley has had an AQAP in place since 2007. The current AQAP was published in 2020 and subsequently extended to cover the period up to 2026.
Bromley Council is now consulting and revising its AQAP to build on the progress already made and ensure the plan remains up to date.