Air Quality Assessments – West Midlands and Black Country

The West Midlands region comprises the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire,  Worcestershire and the West Midlands. The West Midlands contains several major cities, including Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, which are hotspots of poor air quality and where air pollution concentrations exceeds the national air quality objectives, Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) have been declared. The Black Country represents a small area of the West Midlands region and is made up of the local authorities of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. All four authorities have declared the whole of their areas as Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and are working together to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide across the region.

Greenavon Air Quality Consultants are able to provide air quality assessments and odour assessments to support planning applications across the West Midlands.

When do you need an air quality assessment in the West Midlands?

Air quality assessments in the West Midlands 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. 

Each local authority manages air quality in its own adminstrative area, with many councils adopting air quality planning guidance. Authorities with dedicated air quality planning guidance are listed below:

The Black Country Air Quality Planning guidance, as an example, sets out whether you will need an air quality assessment in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, or Wolverhampton. Air quality impact assessments are generally required in the region 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.

Authorities in the Black Country, and across the West Midlands, 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.

When might you need an odour assessment in the West Midlands?

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 the West Midlands 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.

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.

Where We Work?

Shropshire│ Telford and Wrekin│ Cannock Chase│ East Staffordshire│ Lichfield│ Newcastle-under-Lyme│ South Staffordshire│ Stafford│ Staffordshire Moorlands│ Stoke-on-Trent│ North Warwickshire │ Nuneaton and Bedworth│ Rugby│ Stratford-on-Avon│ Warwick│ Birmingham│ Coventry│ Dudley│ Sandwell│ Solihull│ Wolverhampton│ Walsall│ Bromsgrove│ Malvern Hills│ Redditch│ Worcester│ Wychavon│ Wyre Forest│