East Lothian Council

East Lothian borders the City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh. East Lothian is also the name of a registration county, which has different boundaries to the council area.

East Lothian has one, Local Air Quality Management Area (LAQM) which follows Musselburgh high street and this is for excessive Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) which is produced by road traffic.

West Lothian lies on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and is predominantly rural, though there were extensive coal, iron, and shale oil mining operations in the 18th and 19th centuries, which created distinctive red spoil heaps (locally known as “bings”) throughout the council area. The old county town was the royal burgh of Linlithgow, but the largest town (and the second largest town in Lothian after Edinburgh) is now Livingston.

West Lothian currently has two, Local Air Quality Management Areas (LAQMs). They are at Broxburn for excessive particulate matter (PM10) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Linlithgow for excessive particulate matter (PM10) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). Newton has now been declared AQMA for excessive particulate matter (PM10).

Midlothian’s administrative centre is based in Dalkeith and it covers an area from the south of Edinburgh to the Borders. Midlothian was also the name of a historic county formed in the middle ages. The county included Edinburgh, and was formerly known as Edinburghshire, or more formally as the County of Edinburgh until 1890. The historic county remains a lieutenancy area and a for which purposes Edinburgh is included.

Midlothian currently has no Local Air Quality Management Area’s, as its only previous one (Pathhead) was revoked in 2014.

Falkirk

Falkirk was formed on 1 April 1996 from the exact boundaries of Falkirk District Council by way of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. Prior to 1975 the majority of the council area was part of the county of Stirlingshire, and a small part, namely Bo’ness and Blackness, was part of the former county of West Lothian.

Falkirk has four, current Local Air Quality Management Areas. These are at Grangemouth for Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Haggs for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Falkirk Centre for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Banknock for Particulate Matter (PM10).

Stirling Council

Stirling is the most recent addition to the Vehicle Emissions Partnership, joining in early 2019. The current Stirling council area was formed in 1994 from the boundaries of the district of the former Central local government region, it covers most of Stirlingshire (except Falkirk) and the South-Western portion of Perthshire.

Stirling currently has no declared Air Quality Management Areas (LAQM).