Air Quality and Dust Assessments – Portsmouth and Southampton

Air quality Management Areas (AQMAs) are locations where legally binding air quality limits have been exceeded. Southampton and Portsmouth have ten and five AQMAs, respectively, all declared for exceedances of the annual mean AQS for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), caused by road traffic emissions. Southampton and Portsmouth have both created Clean Air Zones (CAZ) to minimise emissions from transport and to improve health and wellbeing of their citizens.

When do you need an air quality assessment in Portsmouth and Southampton?

Air quality assessments in Portsmouth and Southampton are required to ensure that proposed development does not significantly impact neighbours during construction (e.g., from the release of dusts and odorous gases from construction and demolition), during operation (due to the release of emissions from central heating systems, or from associated road vehicles) and to ensure the ventilation strategy considers local pollution concentrations.

Air quality impact assessments are generally required in Portsmouth and Southampton if a development is classified as Major. Common thresholds for Major development include a proposal comprising more than 10 houses or more than 1000m² of commercial floorspace. Air quality assessments are also usually required if the proposal plans to introduce highly sensitive use into an AQMA.

Southampton City Council has provided informal guidance, to developers, which explains when the following types of assessment are required:

• Air Quality Screening Assessments and Air Quality Statements
• Air Quality Assessments – including air dispersion modelling.
• Environmental Impact Assessments
• Exposure Assessments
• Dust Assessments
• Ecological Air Quality Assessments

Portsmouth City Council has also adopted an Air Quality and Air Pollution Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which sets out the way in which air quality impacts from a range of development should be considered.

When might you need an odour assessment in Portsmouth and Southampton?

Many local authorities also require proposals for new kitchen extract systems (e.g. for an application for a restaurant, or takeaway) to provide evidence that the new kitchen extract system is designed to minimise the potential for any odour impacts.

How Greenavon can help?

Greenavon have developed close working relationships with several local authority officers across the UK. We routinely consult with local authority officers to discuss a project and, where possible, agree the assessment approach in advance of planning submission. This is done to maximise the project’s chances of gaining planning permission and minimising the need for any additional work which might be required via planning condition.