Sandwell MBC 2020 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR) In fulfilment of Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 Local Air Quality Management January 2021 (Reporting on calendar year 2019) LAQM Annual Status Report 2020 Sandwell MBC Local Authority Elizabeth Stephens and Sophie Morris Officer Department Public Health Jack Judge House Halesowen Street Address Oldbury West Midlands B69 9EN Telephone 0121 569 6608 E-mail
[email protected] Report Reference Sandwell ASR 2020 number Date January 2021 LAQM Annual Status Report 2020 Executive Summary: Air Quality in Our Area Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) lies in the heart of the West Midlands, in an area of the UK known as "The Black Country". It is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) sharing full membership with six other authorities; Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton. It is a densely populated area covering approximately 8,600 hectares and approximately 327,378 1 residents. This report fulfils the requirements of the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) process as set out in Part IV of the Environment Act (1995), the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 2007 and the relevant Policy and Technical Guidance documents. The LAQM process places an obligation on all local authorities to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas, and to determine whether the national air quality objectives are likely to be achieved. Where exceedances are demonstrated or considered likely, the local authority must then declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and prepare an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) setting out the measures it intends to put in place in pursuit of the objectives.