The Air Quality Regulations 1997

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Air Quality Regulations 1997 and shall come into force on the day after the seventh day on which they are made.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations, “the 1995 Act” means the Environment Act 1995.

(2) The provisions of the Schedule to these Regulations which follow the Table in that Schedule shall have effect for the purpose of the interpretation of that Schedule.

Relevant period

3.—(1) The relevant period for the purposes of section 86(3) of the 1995 Act shall, in relation to the preparation of an action plan to which that section applies, be the period of 9 months beginning with the date on which the district council preparing the action plan first consults the relevant county council in relation to the plan pursuant to paragraph 1(2)(e) of Schedule 11 to the 1995 Act.

(2) The relevant period for the purposes of the other provisions of Part IV of the 1995 Act(1) shall be the period beginning with the date on which these Regulations come into force and ending on 31st December 2005.

Air quality objectives

4.—(1) The air quality objective for each substance listed in the first column of the Table in the Schedule to these Regulations shall be to restrict, by no later than the end of the relevant period prescribed by regulation 3(2), the level at which that substance is present in the air to the level set out in the second column of that Table for that substance.

(2) The achievement or likely achievement of an air quality objective prescribed by paragraph (1) shall be determined by reference to the quality of air at locations which are situated outside of buildings or other natural or man-made structures above or below ground and where members of the public are regularly present.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for the Environment

Michael Meacher

Minister of State,

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

16th December 1997.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Wales

Win Griffiths

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Welsh Office

16th December 1997.

Sewel

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scottish Office

16th December 1997.