Environmental health

Air quality will be taken into account when assessing developments that are sensitive to air quality and for developments which may lead to potential significant emissions to the air. Specific guidance on air quality is given in Planning Policy Statement 23 (www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyguidance/planningpolicystatements/planningpolicystatements/pps23), which identifies air quality as a material planning consideration.

What is air quality?

Poor air quality affects human health and the environment. As part of its approach to sustainable development, the government has adopted the UK National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) to deal with the assessment and management of air quality. It sets out health-based targets for seven pollutants which local authorities are obliged to meet.

Air quality objectives (from Air Quality Strategy 2007)

*A microgramme is a millionth of a gramme.

Although national policies on air pollution are expected to deliver countrywide improvement on air quality, it is recognised that in some local hot spots, because of transport, commercial or industrial activities, air quality will remain poor and will require a more focussed approach to improve air quality.

Local authorities are required to carry out a review and assessment of air quality within their area. This involves the consideration of present and likely future air quality against the air quality objectives set out in the NAQS. In areas where air quality objectives are not likely to be met by the relevant target date, local authorities are required to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and develop an action plan in pursuit of the air quality objectives.

The main findings of the review and assessment of air quality in Medway to date are that the government's Air Quality Objectives are not likely to be achieved in six areas. In these locations air quality does not meet the NAQS objectives for the pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).

The following areas are part of the Medway Air Quality Management Area declared in 2002 and amended in 2004:

Air quality-sensitive development

The National Air Quality Objectives only apply at locations where the public could be exposed to pollution for a long enough time for there to be any measurable health effect. The council considers that housing, hospitals and schools may be regarded as development sensitive to air quality.

Sources of poor air quality

The main sources of poor air quality in Medway are road traffic and industrial activity.

Instances where there would be significant concerns about the air quality impact of a proposed development would be where:

• the development would result in the designation of a new AQMA (i.e. cause a breach of an objective in an area where the public is likely to be exposed over the relevant period);
• the development would result in an extension of an area covered by an existing AQMA;
• there would be conflicts with measures contained within the council’s Action Plan for the AQMA;
• air quality objectives were predicted to be breached and the development significantly increased concentrations of the pollutants.

A development may generally be considered to have an acceptable air quality impact if the objectives set out in the NAQS are met at the location of sensitive receptors:

• without the need for mitigation measures or
• with the implementation of mitigation measures agreed with the council and secured through the grant of planning permission and/or any associated planning obligations.

Mitigation measures

It may be appropriate in some circumstances for the developer to fund mitigating measures elsewhere to offset any increase in emissions as a consequence of the proposed development. This would normally be in the form of a Section 106 Agreement attached to a planning consent. Conditions may be imposed which seek to safeguard air quality.

Among these may be:

• restrictions on certain types of vehicle;
• setting of emission standards for vehicles to be used at the site;
• car parking restrictions;
• parking management to reduce the number of cars entering into an area: options include reducing the number of spaces available, increasing charges or limiting the maximum stay;
• implementation of green travel plans;
• building in public transport, cycling and walking infrastructures in the initial stages;
• requiring the developer to fund schemes for air quality monitoring;
• use of cleaner fuels for energy and heating;
• regulation of industrial emissions by the use of best available techniques (BAT) and the use of better technology to reduce emissions.

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