Air quality monitoring
The Council has a responsibility to review and assess air quality across the Borough. We have a long history of monitoring and delivering initiatives to tackle air quality issues.
View our latest Quality Annual Status Report
Air Quality Management Areas
We have a statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995 to review and assess the air quality within our Borough. We do this by comparing measured or predicted air pollution levels against the UK National Air Quality Standards. Where pollutant concentrations are higher, an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) is declared and an Air Quality Action Plan is produced, setting out actions to bring pollutant levels below the target level.
There are currently two AQMAs in Eastleigh Borough:
- Eastleigh (includes Southampton Road, Romsey Road & Leigh Road)
- Hamble Lane Area
In 2025, two AQMAs were revoked in Eastleigh Borough:
Monitoring Data
The Council measures air quality using both real time monitors and diffusion tubes.
Monitoring is primarily located within our Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs). The monitoring locations are chosen to target areas where air pollution is expected to be high, areas where members of the public spend an hour or more near busy roads, and areas that represent a background level that is not impacted by road traffic or industrial sources. These monitoring locations give us a picture of the air pollution levels across the Borough.
Real Time Monitors
These monitor continuously and allow us to see changes in pollutant levels as they happen during the course of the day. They are located at:
- Southampton Road (nitrogen dioxide)
- Southampton Road (particulate matter PM2.5)
- Southampton Road (particulate matter PM10)
- Steele Close (nitrogen dioxide)
- The Point (nitrogen dioxide)