What is an Air Quality Assessment?
Currently there are well over 500 designated Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) across the UK. The majority of these AQMAs have been declared in relation to road transport emissions. As such, it is quite common for Local Authorities to request an air quality assessment close to or within an AQMA, particularly if that development is introducing new exposure or increasing the number of vehicles using the local road network.
An air quality assessment would typically include the following:
Evaluation of baseline air quality
Assessment of potential air quality impacts during the construction phase
Assessment of potential air quality impacts during the operational phase
Identify mitigation measures (as required) in accordance with relevant guidance
The air quality assessment would be undertaken in accordance with national, regional and local air quality guidance. Additional elements may be added to the air quality assessment depending on the location of the development, such as air quality neutral assessments (London only), emission mitigation statements and/or damage cost calculations.
An air quality assessment may take the form of a scoping report, screening assessment or detailed air quality impact assessments presented as either a standalone report or as a technical chapter within a wider submission document, such as an Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Statements (ES).
Please visit FAQ for further details relating to air quality assessments.