Air quality

Air quality in Sandwell

In the past, Sandwell had poor air quality because of pollution from heavy industries like factories and metal works. But over the years, things have improved. Cleaner technologies and the closure of many old industrial sites have helped reduce this type of pollution.

Today, the biggest air pollution problem in Sandwell comes from road traffic. There are lots of vehicles on the roads, and traffic jams are common. Many homes are close to busy roads, which means people are more exposed to pollution from cars and vans. One of the main pollutants we’re concerned about is nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), which can be harmful to our health.

Sandwell is part of a large urban area in the West Midlands, and it shares borders with several other towns and cities. This means it’s also affected by pollution from major transport routes, including busy motorways that run through the borough.

Because of the risk of having too much NO₂ in the air, the whole of Sandwell has been an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) since 2005. This means we have to take action to improve air quality. Sandwell Council has put in place an Air Quality Action Plan to help reduce pollution and protect people’s health.

Another pollutant which is of serious concern in Sandwell is Particulate Matter (PM). These are tiny particles in the air that can cause serious health problems, especially for the lungs and heart. PM is harmful to everyone, but particularly young children and the elderly. In Sandwell, PM comes from things like wood-burning stoves, indoor heaters, and diesel vehicles. Therefore we all need to take action to try and reduce the amount of these particles in the air in Sandwell.

Actions being taken by Sandwell Council to improve local air quality

If you’d like to learn about the great work happening in Sandwell to make our air cleaner, check out our latest Air Quality Newsletter. It’s full of updates, tips, and stories from around the borough.

Sandwell Council works hard to keep the air clean and protect the health of everyone who lives, works, or visits the borough. Here’s how we do it:

We monitor pollution across Sandwell and share the results in a yearly report called the Annual Status Report (ASR). The latest one is the ASR 2025, it shows how we’re working to improve local air quality.
The whole of Sandwell is an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), which means the Council must have an Air Quality Action Plan to help reduce local sources of pollution and make the air cleaner.
We look at air quality when new buildings or roads are planned. This helps make sure new developments don’t make pollution worse. We also give planning advice to developers like adding electric car charging points and establishing travel plans so future occupants are informed about local public transport options.
We visit many industrial sites in Sandwell to make sure they follow rules that help protect the environment.
We apply for grants to work with local groups and communities. For example, we recently worked with 16 faith communities across the borough to raise awareness about air pollution.
We support walking and cycling to reduce car use. We now have six interactive maps to help people find quieter and safer routes around Sandwell’s main towns. You can check them out using the links below.

Every year, Sandwell Council writes a report that shows how air quality is changing in the borough and what we’re doing to make it better. These reports include facts and figures from our air pollution monitoring and explain the actions we’re taking to protect people’s health.

More information and making a complaint

You’ll also find reports from 2016 onwards, plus other useful documents in,cluding how to make a complaint about air pollution by clicking on the links below:

Air Quality Annual Status Reports

All Saints Way (A4031) Report - Modelled forecast of speed reduction impact on local air quality

Make a complaint about pollution