Air quality Central Bedfordshire
The air quality in Central Bedfordshire is generally good and meets the Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) set by the UK government.
Update to the Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs)
There used to be three AQMAs in Central Bedfordshire:
- Dunstable: The air quality improved and met the relevant Air Quality Objective (AQO). This AQMA was revoked in October 2024
- Ampthill: The air quality improved and met the relevant Air Quality Objective (AQO). This AQMA was revoked in July 2025
- Sandy: This AQMA is still in place. It is now only for the Annual Mean Objective NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide).
All the revocation orders are within the list of air quality reports below.
What’s happening in Sandy?
Sandy’s AQMA is next to the A1 road. Monitoring has shown improvements to the levels of nitrogen dioxide for the last few years.
A new Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) to keep improving the air quality is being shared with the public. People can give their views until 12 August 2025.
If monitoring continues to show that the nitrogen dioxide levels are meeting the Air Quality Objective for a few more years. We may be able to revoke it.
How do we check the air?
We monitor the air at 37 sites across the district. We use passive diffusion tubes to do this.
There used to be a realtime monitor in Sandy that monitored the air all the time. It was removed in January 2025.
Now, we use small air sensors. These check for pollution like NO₂ and tiny dust particles. These particles are called PM10 and PM2.5.
One sensor will stay in Sandy. The other 2 will occasionally move to different places.
These sensors do not give official results. But they still help us decide where more checks or action might be needed.
Further information
The Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Air Quality Monitoring Network shows results of both historical and current monitoring carried out throughout the region and contains air quality information.
Monitoring results are detailed within the Annual Status Reports which appear in the list of Air Quality Reports (below), once approved by Defra. Also in the list are Revocation Orders and Air Quality Action Plans (AQAPs).
Air quality reports
July 2025 AQMA3 Ampthill Revocation Order and Boundary map (PDF)
2024 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR24) (PDF)
October 2024 AQMA1 Dunstable Revocation Order and Boundary map (PDF)
October 2024 AQMA4 Sandy Revocation Order and Boundary map - for hourrly AQO only (PDF)
2023 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR23) (PDF)
2022 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR22) (PDF)
2021 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR21) (PDF)
2019 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR19) (PDF)
Air Quality Action Plan for Ampthill and Sandy 2019 to 2024 (PDF)
2018 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR18) (PDF)
2017 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR17) (PDF)
2016 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR16) (PDF)
2015 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR15) (PDF)
2014 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR14) (PDF)
2013 Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR24) (PDF)
2006 Local Air Quality Management Air Quality Action Plan – AQMA1 Dunstable (PDF)