Guidance

Land-Use Planning & Development Control: Planning for Air Quality – EPUK & IAQM (Jan 2017)
The aim of this guidance document is to provide guidance on the assessment of air quality in relation to planning proposals and to ensure that air quality is adequately considered within the planning control process.
The main focus of the guidance is to ensure all developments apply good practice principles to ensure emissions and exposure are kept to a minimum. It also sets out criteria for identifying when a more detailed assessment of operational impacts is required and provides guidance on undertaking detailed assessments and criteria for assigning the significance of any identified impacts.
[http://www.iaqm.co.uk/text/guidance/air-quality-planning-guidance.pdf]

Guidance on the assessment of dust from demolition and construction v1.1 – IAQM (originally published Feb 2014 and updated 2016)
This guidance document sets out an approach to identifying the risks of impacts occurring at nearby sensitive receptors from dust generated during construction processes and sets out recommended mitigation measures based on the identified risk.
[https://iaqm.co.uk/text/guidance/construction-dust-2014.pdf]

Local Air Quality Management Technical Guidance (LAQM.TG(16)) – Defra (Feb 2018)
The aim of this guidance document is to support local authorities in carrying out their duties under the Environment Act 1995. Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) is the statutory process by which local authorities monitor, assess and take action to improve local air quality. This guidance provides technical advice to local authorities in undertaking the review and assessment process.
[https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/documents/LAQM-TG16-February-18-v1.pdf]

National Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (Nov 2019)
The aim of this guidance is to provide guidance on how planning can take account of the impact of new development on air quality. This is a high-level document, providing advice on the considerations of air quality within plan making and development management, including sources of data and information on mitigation.
[https://www.gov.uk/guidance/air-quality--3]

A guide to the assessment of air quality impacts on designated nature conservation sites – IAQM (June 2020)
The aim of this guidance is to assist in the assessment of air quality impacts of development on designated nature conservation sites. Its main focus is on air quality assessments in support of Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRA) but it is also useful when assessing the air quality impacts on national or local designated nature conservation sites.
[air-quality-impacts-on-nature-sites-2020.pdf (iaqm.co.uk)]

Guidance on Monitoring in the vicinity of Demolition and Construction Sites v1.1 – IAQM (October 2018)
This guidance document provides advice on monitoring of dust and PM10 arising from construction sites. It provides information on selecting the appropriate type of monitoring equipment, selecting locations for monitoring and site action levels.
[https://iaqm.co.uk/text/guidance/guidance_monitoring_dust_2018.pdf]

Air Quality Damage Cost Guidance – Defra (Jan 2021)
This guidance provides the damage costs £/tonne that can be used in a damage cost calculation.
[Air quality appraisal: damage cost guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)]

Technical Guidance on detailed modelling approach for an appropriate assessment for emissions to air.
This guidance provides a method for calculating nitrogen deposition and acid deposition rates for eutrophication and acidification assessments.

Air emissions risk assessment for your environmental permit – Environment Agency (Aug 2016)
This guidance provides advice for completing an air quality emissions risk assessment for a permit application. It includes useful information regarding environmental standards for pollutants other than those included in the AQS and information regarding the assessment of industrial emissions. It also includes criteria that can be used to determine the significance of an impact on ecological receptors.
Link to document: [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/air-emissions-risk-assessment-for-your-environmental-permit]

 

Useful tools

Defra LAQM website (https://laqm.defra.gov.uk/)
The Defra LAQM website includes data and tools that are used for an air quality assessment. It also includes maps and details of Air Quality Management Areas and a database of monitoring data.

MAGIC website (https://magic.defra.gov.uk/About_MAGIC.htm)
This website provides geographical information about the natural environment across Great Britain. It includes information on the designated ecological sites.

Air Pollution Information System (APIS) (www.apis.ac.uk/)
This website provides information on the critical loads and background levels for nutrient deposition and acid deposition relating to different habitats.

Simple Calculation of Atmospheric Impacts Limits (SCAIL) (www.scail.ceh.ac.uk/)
Provides screening tools for assessing the impact from agricultural sources and combustion sources on sensitive ecological habitats.