Air Quality Improvement Could End Chichester Pollution Zone

Air quality in part of Chichester has improved to the point where a long-standing pollution monitoring zone could be scrapped.

Chichester District Council's Environment Panel has backed plans to revoke the St Pancras Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), which was introduced in 2007 after nitrogen dioxide levels exceeded national limits.

The zone covers the area around the Nags Head, between Eastgate Square and New Park Road.

Council officers say nitrogen dioxide levels have remained within legal standards for the past six years, exceeding the five-year period recommended before an AQMA can be removed.

The recommendation will now go before the council's Cabinet next month.

If approved, air quality monitoring will continue in the area, with plans also being developed for a new Air Quality Strategy from 2027.

Environmental Protection Manager Simon Ballard told councillors that St Pancras was the last remaining AQMA in the city, adding that even people with sensitive respiratory conditions would be unlikely to experience significant impacts from walking through the area.

The panel has recommended revoking the AQMA while maintaining ongoing monitoring and developing a new strategy to help protect air quality across the district.