Air quality in Medway

Air quality consultation

We're updating our 2015 Air Quality Action Plan and would like to hear your views on local air quality issues to inform the new plan.

The consultation closes on Monday 28 October 2024.

Find out more and take part in the Air Quality Action Plan consultation.

We have a statutory duty to monitor, review and assess air quality in Medway under the Environment Act 1995.

This involves comparing the measured and predicted pollutant levels to national air quality standards and objectives.

How we monitor air quality in Medway

We monitor air quality in Medway by:

  • using diffusion tubes to monitor nitrogen dioxide across Medway. View raw monitoring data and our annual status reports on Kent Air
  • having continuous automatic air quality stations in Chatham and Lower Stoke that monitor nitrogen dioxide and particles. The Lower Stoke site also monitors sulphur dioxide and ozone.

We are also a member of the Kent and Medway Air Quality Partnership. Data and information about air quality throughout Kent is combined and shared through the partnership’s dedicated website, KentAir.

Areas in Medway not meeting air quality objectives

There are four areas in Medway where air quality does not meet the objectives for the pollutant nitrogen dioxide.

To find out more, you can download the:

View more historic reports on KentAir

Latest air pollution levels

Check the latest and forecasted levels of air pollution for Kent.

You can also sign up to receive a free email forecast when air pollution levels in Kent are expected to change.

Make a difference

Department for Environment Foods and Rural Affairs has a range of resources to help increase your understanding of the sources of air pollution and how you can make a difference.

We have also developed an air quality communication strategy.

To find out more about air quality, visit the following websites:

Report smoke and air pollution

Air pollution

Want to learn more about what causes smog to smell like rotten eggs, why ear wax is yellow and bogeys are green in colour?

Find out how air pollution led to over 12,000 deaths, what we’ve done to improve the air we breathe in, and the steps you can take to continue improving the quality of our air. 


You need to accept marketing cookies to watch this video.