Air quality

Air Quality Management Areas

We have identified four areas of poor ambient air quality across the city. These are called Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and they have elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution, caused mainly by road transport.

These AQMAs are located along:

• M1 Motorway and Westlink corridor
• Ormeau Road
• Upper Newtownards Road, and
• Cromac Street to Short Strand.

Air Quality Action Plan

We have worked with a number of partner organisations to develop a new five-year Air Quality Action Plan for Belfast which will address the few remaining nitrogen dioxide hotspots within our AQMAs and improve ambient air quality generally. Our plan will support a shift towards more sustainable forms of transport, lower levels of air pollution and achieve the air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide. 

It includes different air quality and transport planning initiatives, such as:

• sustainable transport
• improving public transport
• providing new transport infrastructure
• introducing cleaner vehicle technologies, and
• supporting behavioural change.

Read the Air Quality Action Plan for 2021-2026 

Clean air tips video

To help improve ambient air quality, watch our video for some useful hints and tips. 

This video is 60 seconds long.

Air quality and land use planning guidance

The land use planning system can positively contribute to the improvement of air quality.

To ensure the development of Belfast does not adversely impact upon air quality across the city, we may, as a part of the planning process, ask that developers carry out an Air Quality Impact Assessment (AQIA).

In determining whether a new development requires an AQIA, we will refer to best practice guidance such as Environmental Protection UK and the Institute of Air Quality Management (link opens in new window), Land-use Planning & Development Control: Planning For Air Quality (January 2017)

You can read a complete guide to the planning application process, including guidance on the air quality information that you may need to submit as an aspect of a planning application. Read the planning application process guide.

We provide annual air quality status reports and monitoring data for Belfast to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). This information is available to view on the DAERA Northern Ireland Air website (link opens in new window).

You can also read our annual reports on the improving status of ambient air quality (link opens in new window) within the Belfast City Council area.

Read air quality and land use planning guidance