Air Quality Assessments – Scotland

Scotland generally has cleaner air than England and Wales. There are, however, several areas where air quality concentrations exceed the national standards, and so air quality management (AQMAs) have been declared. Scotland also has tighter air quality standards than the rest of the UK for fine particulate matter (PM₁₀).

As its own country, with its own Environment Agency (the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)), air quality is managed in subtly different ways to the rest of the UK. It has its own planning policy and SEPA provides guidance on how planning policy can be interpreted.

Policy Advice Note 51 (PAN51) identifies that air quality is likely to be a material consideration in assessing developments within AQMAs or areas close to declaring them and further states there may also be a need to consider the cumulative effects of development on air quality.

When do you need an air quality assessment in Scotland?

Air quality assessments in Scotland are required to ensure that proposals do 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 make sure the design is sensitive to existing areas of poor air quality. 

Air quality impact assessments are generally required in Scotland if a proposal includes more than 10 houses, includes more than 1000m² of commercial floorspace, significantly increases vehicle trips, or introduces highly sensitive uses next to a main road, or other pollution source.

There are also several local authorities which have dedicated guidance that explains what is expected from air quality assessments. These include:

• Glasgow City Council’s Air Quality and Planning Guidance
• Edinburgh Design Guidance
• The Dundee Air Quality and Land Use Supplementary Guidance Document
• Aberdeen City Council’s Supplementary Guidance: Air Quality

When might you need an odour assessment in Scotland?

Local authorities also often require that for any new kitchen extract system (e.g. for an application for a restaurant, or takeaway), that the planning application (e.g. change of use) provides evidence that the new kitchen extract system is designed to minimise the potential for any odour impacts.

Development in Scotland sometimes occurs on greenbelt land, on the edge of towns and villages. This can put proposed development at risk from odorous emissions from wastewater treatment works (WwTW) and intensive agriculture operations. Scottish Water and other utilities companies often have specific odour assessment requirements to ensure that development does not influence its operation.

How Greenavon can help?

Greenavon have developed close working relationships with several local authority officers across Scotland. 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.

Where We Work

Aberdeen City Council│ Aberdeenshire Council│ Angus Council│ Argyll and Bute Council│ Clackmannanshire Council│ Dumfries and Galloway Council│ Dundee City Council│  East Ayrshire Council│ East Dunbartonshire Council│ East Lothian Council│  East Renfrewshire Council│ Edinburgh City Council│ Falkirk Council│ Fife Council│ Glasgow City Council│ Highland Council│ Inverclyde Council│ Midlothian Council│ Moray Council│ North Ayrshire Council│ North Lanarkshire Council│ Orkney Islands Council│ Perth and Kinross Council│ Renfrewshire Council│ Scottish Borders Council│ Shetland Islands Council│ South Ayrshire Council│ South Lanarkshire Council│ Stirling Council│ West Dunbartonshire Council│ Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar)│ West Lothian Council│