As we look to densify our existing towns and cities and create new large-scale settlements, the importance of air quality has never been so important. The Essex Design Guide has aligned health and wellbeing, planning and placemaking to provide practical, specialist guidance and support to help deliver best practice development for Essex.

The following guidance on air quality, written in partnership with a specialist environmental consultant, covers a range of subject areas comprising; a general topic overview, current national guidance documents and tools, advice for plan making and advice for planning applications. The guidance includes a section on prevention and mitigation which should be used to provide an early guide to mitigate the impact on air quality.

Points to consider

• Has an appropriate level of assessment been completed, see EPUK & IAQM Planning Guidance for criteria on whether a detailed assessment is required?
• Does the development include CHP / biomass plant? If so, has this been assessed?
• Has a suitable selection of receptors been included in the model?
• Has the impact on ecological habitats been considered?
• Has an appropriate detailed dispersion model been used?
• Has appropriate meteorological data been used?
• Has the modelling been appropriately verified?
• Have suitable background concentrations been used?
• Does the assessment use the correct air quality objective levels and significance criteria?
• Have appropriate mitigation measures been recommended?
• Has a damage cost calculation been done where required?
• Will a Dust Management Plan be required?
• Will monitoring be required during the construction phase?