Air Pollution Recovery Indicators - Assessing potential indicators of recovery from air pollution through monitoring air quality and ecological parameters at Skipwith Common SAC

JNCC commissioned the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology to assess ecological recovery at Skipwith Common SAC in North Yorkshire following the closure of three nearby coal-fired power stations. The contract, valued at £116,666 and awarded in November 2025, involved 12 months of monitoring of air quality (NH₃, SO₂, NOₓ), vegetation surveys, and soil chemistry analysis, with findings compared against baseline data from 2011 and 2014 to detect recovery indicators. The work generated a detailed report, recovery assessments, and recommendations for extending similar monitoring to other sites to inform site management and national policy.