Air Quality Assessments – Sussex

There are several Air Quality Management Areas in Sussex, including those in Brighton, Worthing, Shoreham, and the historical towns of Chichester and Lewes. Many of the historic towns in Sussex were built before cars existed and have narrow streets designed for horses and carriages. In these environments pollution from cars can struggle to disperse resulting in several pollution hotspots in historic towns.

Air Quality management in Sussex is further complicated by the regions proximity to sensitive ecological habitats including the Ashdown Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA), and the Lewes Downs SAC. These environments are being adversely impacted by emissions from road traffic, which are causing the habitats of international importance to change and lose their unique features.

When do you need an air quality assessment in Sussex?

The Sussex Air Quality Partnership comprises 13 Local Authorities who have come together to help manage air quality across Sussex. These include the authorities of Adur, Arun, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, Crawley, Eastbourne, Hastings, Horsham, Lewes, Mid Sussex, Rother, Wealden, and Worthing.  This partnership has produced an air quality planning guidance, which sets out under which conditions air quality assessments are required.

Air quality assessments in Sussex 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 Sussex if a proposal includes more than 10 houses, includes more than 1000m² of commercial floorspace, or introduces highly sensitive uses next to a main road, or other pollution source. Many authorities in Sussex also require major development to provide a ‘damage cost’ calculation, which determines the amount a developer should be spending on air quality mitigation. In some cases, a developer would be required to provide a financial contribution if insufficient mitigation is provided on-site.

As air quality is generally good across Sussex, the aim of the Sussex Air Quality Partnership guidance is to prevent an incremental creep in air pollution, caused by successive development, and to ensure that the design of proposals in air pollution hotspots are suitable.

When might you need an odour assessment in Sussex?

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 provides evidence that the new kitchen extract system is designed to minimise the potential for any odour impacts.

Development in Sussex 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). Southern Water has 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 Sussex. 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.

If you would like to discuss a project, or learn more about our services (including costs), please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Where We Work

Eastbourne Borough Council│ Hastings Borough Council│ Lewes District Council│ Rother District Council│ Wealden District Council│ Brighton and Hove City Council (Unitary)│ Adur District Council│ Arun District Council│ Chichester District Council│ Crawley Borough Council│ Horsham District Council│ Mid Sussex District Council│ Worthing Borough Council│